The One
by LivandElforlife
Summary: Elliot's divorce has been final for close to a year and all of his dating is starting to take it's toll on Olivia ..EO of course M for later chapters. used to be The One I Want then I changed it back to The One. Reviews are LOVED and are always replied to
1. Breaking Point

**A/N: I know I should be working on **_**The Text Message**_** but I get sidetracked very easily! Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: not mine obviously**

Olivia Benson woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. She rolled over and groaned, she hated mornings, especially lately. Elliot's divorce had been final for close to a year and he was dating a lot more. Olivia hated seeing him get all dressed up and smell so good for some woman who he'd probably never see again. Olivia told herself every night _She's just another fix for him. She doesn't mean anything. _In reality, Olivia was afraid that one day he would meet someone who would take him away from her. It was thoughts like those that kept her awake at night.

Olivia wanted to roll over and let sleep consume her again but she decided against it. She knew no one would believe her if she called in sick and she really didn't need all the questions. Olivia pulled herself out of bed and trudged into the bathroom. She stripped of her clothes and stepped under the pulsating stream of hot water. She washed and got out of the shower when the water began to turn cold. She wrapped herself in a warm towel and walked out into the hallway and headed towards her bedroom. She threw on some clothes and considered lying back down into the bed and calling in sick again, but once again decided against it. She threw up her hair and put on some make up before realizing she only had twenty minutes left to get to work. She grabbed her gun, badge, and keys as she ran out of her apartment.

She got into the precinct fifteen minutes late and got weird stares from Elliot, Munch, and Fin which she chose to ignore. She walked over to her desk and sat without looking up at anyone. She checked her e-mails and began working on her DD-5's. She could feel Elliot's eyes staring at her but she didn't bother to look up. She didn't want to have to tell him that she was late because she was up all night trying to convince herself to fall out of love with her partner. Olivia could feel the tears gathering behind her eyes but refused to let them surface. She attempted to stand and walk up to the cribs but when she stood, she smashed her arm in between the chair and the desk. "Fuck!" she yelled as her voice cracked and she grabbed her arm.

Olivia didn't look up at the three men who were staring at her but instead turned quickly and walked into the cribs, unintentionally slamming the door behind her. She collapsed onto one of the beds and curled up. She couldn't believe that the one time that it actually mattered, she couldn't make a quiet exit. She rolled onto her back and stared at the bottom of the bunk on top of hers. She tried to fight the tears but they came against her will. Olivia tried to fight the sleep that she could feel coming but failed.

Olivia was in the cribs for about a half an hour before Elliot became worried. "What's wrong with her?" Munch asked gesturing up to the cribs.

Elliot shrugged, "I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

Elliot stood and walked over, grabbed a cup of coffee and walked up the cribs. He debated knocking but decided against it and just walked in. He looked around the dark room for her and found her sleeping on one of the cots. He moved closer to her and noted the tears that stained her face. He looked at her with concern. He had never seen Olivia cry before, at least not out of actual sadness. The only time he ever saw her cry was if she got pissed off thanks to a perp. He hesitantly reached over and touched the side of her face to wipe the tears away. To his surprise, Olivia didn't jump up and yell. Instead she rolled her head over slowly and opened her eyes. Her eyes went wide when she saw who was staring back at her with their hand on her face. "Elliot ..." she whispered as she gave him a confused look.

"I came up here to see if you were ok but apparently not." he said as she swung her legs over to the side of the bed and stood up, wiping her face.

"I'm fine, Elliot. Really, just go." she said as she tried as hard as she could to maintain a passive face. When he didn't move, she did. Olivia walked out of the cribs and out of the squad room. She was headed for Casey's office. She needed someone who wasn't a man to talk to.

She walked through the hallway and stopped at Casey's door. She lifted her arm to knock but the door swung open before she could get the chance. "Olivia? I was just coming to see you. Elliot called me."

Olivia gave Casey a look that told Casey that she probably shouldn't have said that. She stepped aside to let Olivia in and shut the door behind her. "He called you?! What did he say, Casey?"

"It was nothing. He sounded really worried about you Olivia. What's going on?" Casey said as she motioned for Olivia to sit in the chair next to hers.

"Nothing's wrong, Casey. It's just ... I didn't get much sleep again last night." Olivia said as her anger subsided and she put her head in her hands, realizing how tired she actually was.

"Tell me, Olivia." Casey said softly. She knew something was going on with Olivia but she just couldn't place it.

"I can't take it anymore, Casey. He goes out almost every night with all those women. Every night I think 'why can't that be me?' you know? What's wrong with me? Every night I pray that the woman he's with is just a fix and nothing meaningful. Every night I pray that he won't find someone who could actually take him away from me. I'm scared, Casey. Terrified, actually, that he's going to go out one night and find someone who he thinks is 'the one'. But Casey, I want to be 'the one'" Olivia was crying openly by now and she couldn't believe it. "I'm sorry Casey. Really, I shouldn't have said all that."

Casey laughed, "Liv, it's ok. Seriously. And trust me, you are 'the one'. Everyone can see it, and I think he sees it too. I mean look at the women he goes out with. They all have brown hair and brown eyes and they all resemble you in some way or another. You can't tell me that it's just a coincidence."

"Maybe he just doesn't like blondes." Olivia sniffed as she reached for a tissue.

Casey laughed harder at this comment, "Liv, you're kidding, right? He was married to a blonde for twenty years. Trust me, he wants them women to be you. Just tell him how you feel, Olivia. I'm one hundred percent sure he's going to feel the exact same way."

Casey shook her head and laughed as she gave Olivia a mirror to check her face. Olivia thanked her and when she was finished, she stood and walked out of her office. She walked into the squad room and Elliot looked up almost immediately. She looked at him and gave him a small smile. She looked around and noticed that nobody was in the room. She walked over to the side of his desk and leaned against the edge. Elliot leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. He could tell she had been crying by the way the rims of her eyes were red. "Where'd everyone go?" Olivia asked.

"Cragen sent Munch and Fin out on a call when I told him you had a feminine problem." Elliot said laughing.

Olivia smiled and looked down at the floor, "Casey told me you called her."

Elliot looked at her intently, "Yeah, I was worried about you, Liv. I still am."

Olivia smiled and nodded slowly. She was about to say something when Munch and Fin came into the squad room. She straightened herself but stayed where she stood. She turned back to Elliot and leaned close to him, "My house, eight o'clock."

She pulled back and looked Elliot in the eyes, he nodded and she walked back to her desk to finish her work. The next eight hours couldn't go by any slower.

**A/N: Tell me if you like it :D**


	2. Lies and Announcements

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews ! **

**Disclaimer: still no**

The squad room was quiet for the remainder of the day. Olivia and Elliot exchanged glances every once and a while but other than that, no words were spoken. When Olivia finally finished her last DD-5 of the day, she looked up at the clock and saw that it was seven. She shut off her computer and grabbed her keys out of her desk drawer. Without looking at anyone except Elliot, she walked out of the squad room and stepped into the elevator. Olivia decided to say good night to Casey before she left the building. She walked up to her door and knocked on it. "Come in!"

Olivia opened the door and stepped in. Casey's eyes went wide and she got flustered and immediately snapped her cell phone shut, ending the conversation she was having. "Hey, Liv. What's ... uh ... what's up?"

Olivia looked at her questioningly. "Nothing, I just came by to say good night. Who was that?"

Casey stood up and walked around to the other side of her desk where Olivia was. "No one, just ... my mom ... you know she just kept talking and talking."

Olivia nodded slowly, not believing a word that came out of Casey's mouth. "Well, I just wanted to thank you for listening to me today. I can't believe I just broke down like that."

Casey nodded and walked closer to Olivia. "It's ok, Liv. We can't all be superwoman, not even you."

Olivia nodded and acted as if she was going to hug Casey. Instead, she darted behind her and grabbed her cell phone off of the desk. She scrolled through the incoming calls and saw that the last one was from Elliot at 7:04PM. "Your mom, huh? Why were you talking to Elliot?"

Casey became flustered and her face turned red. "Oh ... uh ... he was just consulting me on a case. He wanted to know what the verdict was. That's all. Nothing big."

Olivia smiled to herself as she watched Casey struggle to find an excuse. "Really? Hmm ... that's interesting, we aren't working any cases that he seemed particularly involved in. What case was it?"

Casey looked at Olivia and realized there was no way she could get away with this. "Ok, fine Olivia. He called me to talk about you. He wanted to know what happened when you came down here. But don't worry I didn't tell him. All I said was that it was between you and him and that if he really wanted to know he would ask you. He told me that you invited him to your house today and said that it would be the perfect time to ask. Now, what I want to know is why you're standing here when you should be getting ready for your big night in with Elliot." Casey said laughing as she grabbed Olivia by the shoulders and pushed her out of the office.

Olivia laughed and pushed Casey back as she walked down the hall. Olivia pushed the button for the elevator and waited for it. She heard the ding, signifying that the elevator was there. She stood in front of the door and waited as the doors opened. She looked up and her eyes went wide when she saw Elliot standing in the elevator, about to get off. "Elliot? What are you doing down here?"

Elliot looked shocked as he took a step forward then a step back, debating which way to go. "Oh ... uh ... I was just going to talk to Casey about a ... case. What were you doing down here?"

Olivia smiled at the lie and fired back with another. "Oh, I was just saying good night to Casey. She was on the phone with her mom when I walked in. What case are you guys going to talk about?"

Elliot just shook his head. "It's nothing big, I was just wondering about one of the perps that we busted a while back. Still eight?"

Olivia nodded as Elliot walked out of the elevator and she walked in "Still eight."

The elevator doors closed and Olivia laughed to herself, proud that she had caught both Elliot and Casey in their lies, only Elliot didn't know it yet. Olivia got into her car and drove as fast as she could to her apartment, she wanted to at least get a shower before Elliot came. She pulled up and found a parking spot right in front of her apartment building. She grabbed her keys out of her pocket and quickly ran into the building. Olivia stopped short when she saw someone sitting against her door, and her hand automatically went to her gun. She relaxed when she recognized who it was. "Simon?"

Simon looked up and immediately stood when he saw his sister standing over him. "Olivia, I've been waiting for you."

Olivia just nodded and put her key into the lock. "Is anything wrong?"

Simon shook his head, "No everything's great actually. I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing. I haven't talked to you in a while."

Olivia laughed and shut the door behind him as they both walked over to the couch. "So, why is everything great?"

Simon laughed and looked down at the couch, then back at Olivia. "I'm getting married."

"What?" Olivia asked, her eyes growing.

"I'm getting married. You know, married. The thing where you walk down the aisle and say 'I do' and promise to love them forever. You know that thing." Simon said as he laughed at her shocked expression.

"Yeah, I ... I know what marriage is. But I ... I just can't believe you're getting married." Olivia said as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"But, Olivia I have to go. We're going out to dinner to celebrate. I just wanted to come by and tell you. I'll call you later though." Simon said as he stood up and pulled her into a hug.

Olivia hugged him back but she was still in shock. She walked him to the door and shut it behind him. She couldn't believe her brother was getting married. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a case of beers and sat back down on the couch. She looked at the clock. It was 7:46. Elliot would be here any minute. She chugged four of the beers she took out and jumped in the shower, hoping he wouldn't come while she was in there. Olivia didn't know how long she was in the shower before she started getting dizzy, but she got out and threw on a long tank top and some boy shorts. She crashed back down on the couch and looked at the clock. It was 7:56. She couldn't believe she barely took a ten minute shower.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of knocking on her door. Olivia stood and walked over to the door. She opened it and took in Elliot's appearance. He looked the same as he did when she saw him last. She smiled softly and motioned for him to come in. She ran her fingers through her wet hair and shut the door behind him. "Have a seat."

Elliot nodded and walked over to the couch. He noticed all the empty beers on the table and looked at Olivia questioningly. "Did you drink all those?"

Olivia lied "No, Simon was here. We were celebrating."

Olivia forced a smile that she hoped looked real but judging by Elliot's unconvinced reaction, she failed. "What were you celebrating?"

Olivia looked down at her hands and tried to keep a steady smile plastered across her face. "He's getting married."

Elliot looked at her and immediately realized why she was so upset. It made her realize how she doesn't have a boyfriend, let alone a fiancé. Elliot looked at her with concern etched into his face. "Here, have a beer" she said handing him one.

Elliot nodded and took it without taking his eyes off of her. "So, what did you and Casey talk about?" she asked when the silence threatened to consume them both.

"Just about a case ... and you." Elliot mumbled the last part hoping that she wouldn't have noticed it.

"I know you were talking about me. I also knew that it wasn't her mother on the phone when I walked in." Olivia said and she repositioned herself on the couch so that she was completely facing Elliot with her legs crossed on the couch. "I also know that she wouldn't tell you what was said when I went down there and that she told you to ask me about it if you really wanted to know."

Elliot looked at her, "If you knew I was lying to you, why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, to tell you the truth. I think it's funny to catch you in your own lies. And when I get both you and Casey in the same day at the same time for the same lie, it's even better." Olivia said as she reached over and took the beer from Elliot and attempted to take a sip.

Elliot put his hand over the top and shook his head. "I think you've had enough, Olivia. How about some coffee? Or tea?"

Olivia sighed and gave up the bottle. Elliot stood up and pulled her with him. "Why can't I just sit there?"

Elliot laughed and looked back at her. "Do you really think I'm going to leave you there with beer when I just told you to stop?"

Olivia laughed. "Well, I'm not drunk, just a little buzzed." she said truthfully.

Elliot smiled at her as he poured her a cup of coffee. "Well let's keep it that way. We still need to talk."

Olivia smiled and took a sip of her coffee. She inhaled deeply after the first sip. "I forgot how good coffee was."

Elliot laughed as he took a sip of his own. "It beats that flower water any day."

Olivia chuckled to herself as she poured sugar into her cup. "Simon's getting married and I can't even keep a steady boyfriend. I mean, I don't see what's wrong with me. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places. I've been told bars aren't the best place to meet decent men."

Elliot laughed at her as he watched her get lost in her own thoughts. Elliot inched closer to her and grabbed her coffee in one hand and her hand in the other. He pulled her into the living room and sat her down on the couch, clearing away all the beer so that there would be no temptation. He smiled to himself when he noticed her eyes were clear and she wasn't lost or buzzed anymore. "We need to talk, Liv."

Olivia nodded and took a sip of her coffee and placed it down on the coffee table, before turning to face Elliot. "You want to go first?"

Elliot nodded. "If you want me to." Olivia nodded in return and Elliot inhaled deeply collecting his thoughts.

It seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke.


	3. Interruptions

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Well, it was only 5 days so it wasn't that long but it felt long to me.**

**Disclaimer: still no**

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes to see Elliot staring at her, with a look in his eyes that she couldn't recognize. They both stared at each other, Olivia trying to place the look in his eyes and Elliot trying to gather his thoughts. "You're scaring me, Elliot."

Elliot smiled and broke his gaze. "How?"

"You're just sitting there looking at me with this look in your eyes that I've never seen and it's making me nervous." Olivia said.

They both jumped as Olivia's cell phone rang throughout the apartment. She got up and walked into her bedroom to get it. "Benson ... yea ...ok Cap ... No, it's ok I'll call him ... ok Thanks Bye."

Olivia rolled her eyes and walked back out into the living room. "We have a case."

Olivia walked over to the table near her door and grabbed her keys, gun, and badge. She walked over to the door and opened it and looked back for Elliot, "Aren't you coming?"

Elliot smiled as he remained seating. "You might want to get dressed first."

Olivia looked down and started laughing. "Yeah, that might be a good idea." Olivia said and she closed the door and put her keys, gun, and badge down.

Elliot laughed as she walked towards her room. "Well you know, you could wear that. I mean I bet we could get a confession pretty easily from that." Elliot said as he ducked to avoid the towel she threw at him.

"No, if I wore this, we'd get into an accident with you trying to catch a peek at me while you're driving." Olivia said as she leaned against her doorframe and winked, before turning and closing the door behind her

Five minutes later, Olivia came out of her bedroom in sneakers, sweat pants, and a t-shirt. She applied some make up, mainly just eye-liner and foundation but Elliot noticed the minute she came out of the door. She walked over to her door and grabbed her keys, gun, and badge. "Ok, now we're ready."

Elliot and Olivia got into the car and drove to the hospital. The drive to the hospital was silent and uncomfortable, but not unbearable. They walked into the hospital and waited for the doctor to come talk to them. The doctor briefed them on the rape victim. She was a fourteen year old named Ashley Jacobs who's parents were divorced. She was currently living with her mom and her step dad. They walked into the girl's room and introduced themselves. "Hi honey, my name's Olivia and this is Elliot. Can you tell me what happened?"

The girl looked up at her and nodded slightly but waited before she began to speak. "I was in my room and I was trying to get to sleep and then he came into the room and ... and he told me that if I yelled he would kill me, so I didn't scream. Then he tried to kiss me but I moved away and he put his hand around my neck and said that if I moved away from him that he would choke me. Then he pulled down my pants and raped me." Ashley choked out the last part of her statement as she collapsed into tears.

Olivia walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back and telling her that everything would be alright. Ashley cried harder and leaned into Olivia as if letting go would kill her. "Sweetie, did you know the man?"

Ashley nodded and cried harder as she gripped Olivia's shirt. "He's my ... step dad." she choked out through the tears.

"Ok, Sweetie. We're going to get him now, ok? He's gonna pay for this, honey. Now I'm going to let this nurse clean you up now." Olivia said as she pulled away from the girl, brushed the hair and tears off of her face and motioned to the nurse. Ashley nodded as sniffed and leaned back into the hospital bed as the nurse came and examined the cut on her head.

As they got out of the hospital room, Olivia pulled out her phone and called Munch and told him to pick up Ashley's step dad. She told him that Ashley confirmed that her step dad was her rapist. Olivia hung up the phone and started walking towards the elevator. Just then, the doctor came over to talk to the two detectives and stopped them. "Detectives? We found semen in Ashley and we got a match."

"Her step-dad, right?"

The doctor nodded and looked at them confused. "How did you know that?"

"She just told us." Olivia said as she stepped back to answer her phone. Elliot thanked the doctor and walked over to the elevator where Olivia was waiting, still on the phone. "Ok Cap. ... thanks ... goodnight."

The elevator dinged and together they stepped in. "Cap said that Munch and Fin were on their way out of the precinct to get Ashley's step dad as he walked in. Apparently, he was coming to turn himself in."

Elliot nodded, "If only every case could be that easy."

Olivia just nodded in return. They walked in silence to the car. When they were in the car, both tried to figure out what to say to the other. Olivia kept glancing down at her left ring finger and rubbing it with her thumb. She kept imagining what Simon's fiancée's engagement ring looked like. She was wondering if she would ever have one. Elliot noticed her doing it, but decided not to comment on it until they were more comfortable in each other's presence. Elliot returned his attention on the road and drove to Olivia's apartment. He pulled up into the big spot right in front of her apartment and put the car into park. "You wanna come up?"

Elliot nodded and took the key out of the ignition. They walked up to her apartment in silence. The silence was uncomfortable and awkward. Olivia put her key in the lock and stepped aside to let Elliot in first. Elliot walked in front of her and stood as she turned to shut the door behind her. Elliot moved quickly so he was pinning her against the door. He looked down at her with the same look that Olivia couldn't place earlier. "Elliot, what are you— "

Olivia was cut off by Elliot's lips crashing down on hers. Olivia inhaled sharply before relaxing into the kiss. She moaned into his mouth and Elliot took it as an opportunity to deepen the kiss. Before things could get too heated, Elliot pulled away. "We still need to talk."

Olivia nodded reluctantly she knew they had to talk, but she'd rather be doing what they were just doing. They walked over to the couch and sat down. Olivia turned and sat so that she was facing Elliot completely.

Elliot opened his mouth to speak but Olivia beat him to it, "I can't even begin to describe the feelings I get when I see you getting all dressed up to see all those women night after night. When I see you with them, I get more angry than I've ever gotten at a perp or anyone I've ever known. Honestly, it scares me and I'm not one to get scared. I hardly sleep anymore because I'm up every night thinking '_maybe tonight's girl will be the one who'll take you away from me'" _Olivia said, as she got up from the couch and walked around to the other side of the coffee table. "And then my little brother comes and tells me he's getting married. Married, and I can't even keep a boyfriend for longer than a week if I'm lucky. No other man besides you can handle me, and honestly, I don't want them to."

Elliot stood up and walked over to the other side of the coffee table where Olivia was clearly trying to regain her composure. "Liv, as much as I hate myself for saying it because I hate using women, those women meant nothing to me. They were all just replacements for you because I was too afraid to tell you how I actually felt. Everyone always told me there was something more between us but I never wanted myself to believe it because I didn't think you noticed it. If I just came up to you one day and told you how much I loved you and how much you meant to me, I was afraid you'd 'let me down easy' and transfer to another precinct."

Olivia's eyes widened and Elliot looked at her strangely. "What?" he asked, getting nervous.

"You love me?" Olivia asked as she moved closer to him, not breaking her gaze with him.

Elliot nodded and let a small smile creep on his face. "Yeah, I love you."

Olivia smiled and closed the space that remained between them, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Good, because I love you too."

Elliot smiled and leaned down to capture Olivia in an intense kiss. Olivia's cell phone rang throughout the apartment but she reached over and put it on silent, before recapturing the heated kiss. Olivia turned and guided Elliot so that they were sitting on the couch. Suddenly, Olivia's house phone rang and Elliot pulled away. "Maybe you should answer that."

Olivia just shook her head no and pulled him closer. "If it's really that important they'll leave a message."

Elliot nodded in agreement and they continued their kiss on the couch. Olivia's answering machine picked up the call and the message played out over the speaker.

"Hey sis, judging by the fact that I came by to see if you were ok and noticed you going into your apartment with Elliot and then seeing you guys talk and do 'more' from your window, I know why you're not answering me. And let me just make myself very clear right now, I don't approve." Simon said laughing.

Olivia got up off of the couch and looked out her window for Simon's car. When she found it, she waved and flipped him off. "And now you're waving. Hey! You shouldn't use such obscene finger gestures to your little brother."

Olivia walked over to the phone and put it on speaker. "Is there anything you need, Simon? Or do you just like bothering me?"

Simon laughed, "I'm offended, Olivia. I would never bother you."

Olivia laughed and looked back at Elliot who was sitting on the couch listening to the conversation. "Shouldn't you be with your fiancée, Simon?"

"Oh don't worry I'm with her."

"Well, maybe you should be paying attention to her. Just a word of advice, women don't like to be kept waiting." Olivia said as she shot a joking look at Elliot.

"Well, I don't think I'm the one you should be telling that to, Olivia. But I will leave you two to get back to your 'activities'. I'll call you as soon as we have all the wedding plans planned. Love you sis."

Olivia laughed and hung up the phone. Olivia settled back onto the couch with Elliot and leaned against him, looking him in the eyes before attempting to kiss him. Elliot leaned back, "Do you really think we should be doing this, Liv? I mean your brother doesn't approve."

Olivia gave him a look and started laughing. "Ok, ok. I can wait a lot longer than you can." she said as she stood up off of the couch and walked into her bedroom.

She came back out two minutes later in her boy shorts and a tight short tanks top. "It was getting kind of hot in here." she said with a smile as she walked back over and sat next to a shocked Elliot.

It was going to be a long night for Elliot.


	4. Getting Caught

**A/N: I would have updated sooner if the stupid snow didn't block my creativity. There's honestly at least 8 inches of snow in Boston right now. I'm praying for a snow day but it never happens anyway. Don't get me wrong, I love snow ... but only when I can leave it after it starts getting messy and interfering with everything I try to do. But anyways ... on with the story :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything no matter how hard I wish for it.**

Elliot and Olivia were sitting on the couch watching the recaps of the days games, talking occasionally, when Olivia's phone rang again. Olivia's outfit was killing Elliot but he was determined not to let her have the satisfaction of knowing that. He spent the whole time with his eyes glued to the tv, trying not to think about his half-naked partner sitting next to him. She detached herself from Elliot's arms and walked over to answer the phone. It took everything Elliot had in him to not look at her as she went to answer it. "Benson. Oh hey, Simon. What's wrong now? ... oh ok. ... yea, we'll see you tomorrow ... bye"

Olivia hung up the phone and sat back on the couch with Elliot. "That was Simon, he wanted to know if we would have lunch with him and his fiancée tomorrow. I told him we would."

Olivia smiled at Elliot's odd expression. "What if I already had plans?" Elliot questioned as he smiled at her.

"Well, do you?"

"Well, no but–"

"Then there's no problem" Olivia cut him off. "And besides why would you ever turn down lunch with me?"

Elliot didn't respond but shrugged his shoulders. He tried to keep his eyes focused on the tv screen but every once and a while he glanced over to see Olivia with a smirk on her face. "I'm killing you, aren't I?"

Elliot shook his head and looked at her fully for the first time since she came out of the bedroom. He tried to keep his eyes focused on hers and not let them roam all over her body. "No, what ... uh ... what would make you think that?"

Olivia chuckled as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. She felt around in the fridge for two water bottles. She found them near the back of the fridge and walked back out to the living room. Elliot reached his hand out to take one of the waters from her but she didn't give it to him. Instead, she sat and held one bottle between her legs as she opened the other one. Elliot laughed and cleared his throat. Olivia looked up innocently, "Oh, did you want one?"

Elliot laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Olivia took a sip of her water but didn't make an effort to remove the bottle from in between her legs. Instead, she smiled, kept her eyes glued on the tv and said, "You want it, come and get it."

Elliot reached over and plucked the water bottle from her legs. As he went to grab it, his hand intentionally brushed across her chest. "Now, now, Elliot. My brother doesn't approve, remember?"

Elliot rolled his eyes and groaned but flashed his special Stable smile which he reserved for her. "Come on, Liv. You're killing me."

Olivia didn't say anything but put her water down on the table and reached over to grab Elliot's. When both of the waters were on the table, she leaned over so that she was almost completely on top of Elliot. "Well I wouldn't want to do that, now would I?"

Elliot flashed his Stabler shit-eating grin as he leaned down to kiss her. Olivia acted as if she was going to kiss him, but put her hand on his chest and pushed herself up. "You're a tease, Liv."

Olivia shook her head and smiled, "Only with you."

Olivia stood up off of the couch and reached down and grabbed Elliot's hand. She pulled him up off the couch, not bothering to turn the tv off as she pulled him down the hall into her bedroom. When they got to Olivia's bedroom door, which was still closed, Elliot spun her around and pushed her into the door, much like he did hours before. He reached up and tangled one of his hands in her hair and rested the other one on her hip. He pulled her closer to him and captured her lips into an intense kiss. Olivia moaned and Elliot deepened the kiss. Olivia reached her hand down behind her to turn the doorknob. Olivia got the door open after several tries and backed herself and Elliot into the bedroom. Olivia sat down on the bed and pulled Elliot down on top of her. She reached down and tugged at the hem of his shirt, signaling him to take it off. Elliot got the message and pulled the shirt off.

Elliot helped Olivia with her shirt as Olivia slowly inched herself up on the bed. Soon, all of their clothes had been discarded and were laying on the floor. Elliot moved his lips from hers to her neck. Olivia smiled and bit her lip as she tilted her head upward to give him more room. "Elliot ..."

Elliot smiled as he heard her plea. "Don't worry, babe. I got you."

Elliot slid into her and captured her lips in another kiss at the same time. He smiled against her lips as she moaned into his mouth.

"Condom?"Elliot asked.

"Pill work for you?" Olivia said, Elliot nodded in response.

Everything started out slow and sensual, both of them exploring the new territories, but it soon got intense as they both reached their peak. Olivia came first and Elliot followed soon after. Elliot climbed off of Olivia and lay next to her, pulling her close to him.

Elliot and Olivia lay in the bed for hours after, Olivia had fallen asleep but Elliot was awake watching her. He was trying to keep the thoughts of the complications this could bring out of his head. In the end, he realized that he didn't care about his job, and the only thing that mattered anymore was Olivia. The rapid knocking on the door took Elliot out of his thoughts and woke Olivia. Olivia jumped up and looked around, before groaning and covering her head with the pillow. "What time is it?" she croaked out, not bothering to take her head out from under the pillow.

Elliot looked over her, at the alarm clock's red numbers that shined through the darkness of the room. "It's 3:30."

"In the morning? Are you kidding me? Who could possibly be knocking on my door at 3:30 in the morning?" Olivia grumbled as she walked over to the closet and threw on a short silk bathrobe. "This better be important."

Elliot laughed at her as she walked away, making sure that she couldn't hear him. He felt bad for whoever was disrupting her beauty sleep and didn't want to be on the brunt end of her temper. Olivia shut the bedroom door, trudged through the hallway and groaned when the light from the tv made it's way to her eyes. Olivia looked through the peep hole and saw Casey and Munch on the other side. Casey was wearing a black cocktail dress that made her look sinful with heels that could kill and John was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and black dress pants. Olivia swung the door open and squinted as the bright light from the hallway entered the room. "What do you two want?"

Casey walked over to Olivia, "Liv, um ... do you mind if we use your phone? My phone's dead and Munch didn't bring his and we have no change for a payphone. I love the robe by the way, is that silk?" Casey said, trying to soften her up.

Olivia was too tired to argue with them and instead stepped back into her apartment, signaling for them to follow her. Olivia walked them into her living room, "The phone is on the table on the other side of the couch."

Olivia sat on the couch and turned the tv off, trying to rest her head on a pillow. Casey pulled the pillow out from under her as she tried to rest her head on it. "Casey, what are you doing?"

Casey pulled Olivia down the hallway, making sure Munch was out of earshot. "We'll be right there, John. Just call a cab and wait there for me" Casey yelled back so that Munch wouldn't be tempted to follow them

Casey pulled Olivia so that they were standing close enough to the bedroom door so that Elliot could hear everything, but not close enough that Olivia was worried. Elliot heard them talking near the door and moved closer so he could hear better, "Casey, what are you doing? You should be out there with Munch waiting for your cab. Wait a minute, why are you with Munch in the first place?"

Casey didn't answer any of her questions, "Who is he, Liv?"

Olivia tried her best to look as confused as possible without overdoing it. "Who's who, Casey? The only thing I want is to sleep."

Casey laughed and leaned back against the bathroom door. "Sleep, huh? Since when do you sleep in a robe?"

"I don't actually. I threw it on to find out who was at the door." Olivia said as she played with the hem of the robe.

"So, you're telling me that you sleep naked? Since I'm pretty sure that you're not wearing anything under that. And you're glowing, completely glowing. Not just shimmering, glowing. I've never seen you glow. Shimmer maybe, but not glow." Casey said as she peaked her head down the hallway to make sure Munch wasn't listening.

"Yes, maybe I do sleep naked. And maybe I just have a natural glow to me that you never noticed until now. Now, tell me what's going on with you and Munch." Olivia said as she tried to turn the attention away from her.

"Nothing's going on. What ... uh would make you think anything's going on?" Casey asked as her face became flushed and she tried to maintain her composure.

"Well, Casey, nothing too obvious. Just the fact that you both showed up at my door at 3:30 in the morning and the fact that you're in a cocktail dress and stripper heels and he's in a dress shirt and pants. And the fact that you couldn't lie if your life depended on it." Olivia said as she smiled at Casey.

"Ugh ... fine, Liv. We had a date, but don't say anything. I don't want to jinx it. And not all of us can have the amazing Benson lying ability. But, seriously I think I know who's in that room." Casey said as she folded her arms across her chest and smiled slyly.

Olivia didn't respond but instead a smile crept up on her face and she started looking intensely at Casey. Casey got worried when she didn't challenge her knowledge of who was in the room. "Olivia, did you hear me?"

Olivia nodded, "Yeah, I heard you. I was just thinking about Munch and Casey babies running around. It's pretty funny when you picture them in your head. Come on try it."

Casey rolled her eyes and started walking away. Olivia, who was now laughing, pulled her back. "Ok, ok I'm sorry, Case. Now, who do you think is in the room?"

"Elliot."

Olivia forced a laugh that she hoped sounded real. "Elliot? What would make you think Elliot's in the room?"

Casey looked at Olivia and smiled , "Liv, please tell me you're kidding. You know why I think he's the one in there. Just the fact that you told him to come by here earlier today and that talk that we had in my office is enough to convince me. That's not even considering all the years of sexual tension and all the sleepless nights from both of you."

Olivia didn't respond but instead guided her back to the living room where Munch was patiently waiting. "Hey, Liv. I was just going to come back there and get you. Captain called, we have another case. I'm calling Elliot right now."

It was then when Olivia first noticed the fact that Munch had the phone up to his ear. Olivia went to stop him but her feet glued to the carpet when the sound of Elliot's cell phone rang from behind the bedroom door.

**A/N: That author's note at the top is from Friday and its now Monday but I was too lazy to change it. And in case any of you were wondering, we did get the day off :D and I apologize, I'm horrible at smut scenes!**


	5. The Stare Down

**A/N: The reviews have been scarce and sucky lately guys ... normally I don't mind how many reviews I get but lately they've been really bad. Thanks for all of the people who review on a constant basis but I'd really like to see more! Sorry it took me longer than normal to get a new chapter up ... you guys can take that as your punishment :D**

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Olivia stared at the couple, waiting for their reaction. At first, they said nothing. Olivia was more worried about Munch's reaction and if he would tell anyone. The phone from behind the bedroom door was silenced when Munch hung up the phone. Munch sat, staring at the phone in his hand and the closed bedroom door. He finally broke his gaze and looked at Olivia. It was only then that he seemed to take in Olivia's appearance, giving her the once-over before standing up. Munch got a smug smile on his face and slowly walked over to the bedroom door. "Hey Elliot."

Elliot, knowing they were caught, replied behind the closed door. "Hi John"

"What's been going on? Any new, exciting things to share?" John asked as he leaned up against the wall next to the bedroom door. Watching as Casey and Olivia came closer to him. Casey had the biggest grin that he had ever seen plastered across her face. He was sure that he could see almost every tooth in her mouth.

"No, not...uh...really. Just same old same old, you know? How...uh...how about you?" Elliot said the nervousness only evident to Olivia, to Munch and Casey it just sounded like hesitation.

"Same you know, just on a date" John said, glancing at Casey and giving her a slight smile. "At least I can admit it."

Munch laughed as he walked away and rubbed his face, shaking his head, "I'm only teasing you, Elliot. But I'll call Fin and tell him to cover the case. I'll cover for you guys, but you's owe me. And it's about time."

Olivia spoke for the first time since the phone rang, "Come on, Casey." Olivia tried to pry her friend away from the hallway and towards the door. The shit-eating smile was still plastered across her face with no sign of going away. Olivia was worried that Casey was going to try to go back to the bedroom and talk to Elliot more. As this thought entered her head, she slightly tightened her grip on Casey's shoulders.

Casey let herself be pushed closer to the door but collapsed in a fit of giggles halfway through the door. Olivia had to drag Casey the rest of the way to the door because she could not hold herself up. Olivia rolled her eyes but smiled at her. She tried to look angry at Munch and Casey for coming and finding them but when she heard Casey's laughter she couldn't help but smile. She pushed Casey into Munch as she walked them to the door. "Good luck with that" Olivia said, motioning towards Casey who had tears in her eyes, threatening to fall from laughing so hard.

Munch still had the smug smile on his face as he continued to absorb the information that he had waited nearly ten years for. He gave Olivia the once-over again, shook his head, and smiled. "Finally" Munch said as he draped his arm over Casey's shoulder and pulled her down the hall.

For a moment, Olivia got the feeling there was something more going on than just a date, but she brushed it off and walked back into her apartment. Olivia smiled to herself as she turned off the tv and put the phone back on the table. Once everything was back in order, she walked back into the bedroom. Olivia walked into the dark room and looked on the bed for Elliot. She found him lying where she left him about a half an hour before. Olivia took off her silk robe and got back into the bed. Olivia moved over so she was wrapped in Elliot's arms. "So do you really?" Elliot asked, once she was settled in his arms.

"Do I what?" Olivia asked as she repositioned herself so that she could look at him without straining her neck.

"Sleep naked" Elliot said, as he flashed his famous Stabler smile.

Olivia glared at him but he could see the smile shining in her eyes. "You're a jerk." she said as she swung her arm out to hit him. "Of course not."

Elliot put on a fake hurt expression and slowly inched away from her. "Lying to Casey now, Liv? Wait till I tell her that"

Olivia laughed and rolled her eyes as Elliot moved back over towards Olivia. As soon as he did so, Olivia collapsed into giggles. Elliot looked at her strangely waiting for her to stop laughing so she could explain. Olivia didn't wait until she was finished laughing, instead she spoke through it. "I'm picturing Munch and Casey babies."

Elliot laughed and rolled his eyes. He watched as her laughter subsided and deep thought took it's place. He wanted to ask her what she was thinking about but by the time he went to ask, he found her sleeping on his chest. Elliot smiled to himself as he watched her sleeping peacefully. Soon, the sound of her even breathing lulled him to sleep.

XOXOXOXOXO

The next day at work, Munch couldn't focus on his work. He kept looking over at Elliot and Olivia looking for any strange behavior. When he found none, it made him wonder how long their relationship had been going on. Munch convinced himself that Olivia would've told Casey if there was something going on and Casey would've let it slip to him. He also remembered Casey's facial expression when he was talking to Elliot through the bedroom door. If Casey had known about them sleeping together, she would not have been so surprised to find them together. Munch continued to stare at the couple, he was certain that neither of them had saw him until Olivia spoke. "Are you going to keep staring at me all day or are you going to say something?" Olivia said, without even looking up from her computer screen.

She could feel Munch's eyes on the back of her head and she couldn't take it any longer. Elliot looked up from his desk for the first time all day and looked at Olivia questioningly, not knowing who she was talking to. Olivia finished typing up her sentence and looked over at Munch with a questioning look that could have also been interpreted as a pissed off look. "Uh ... um ... n..no...that's ok" Munch was caught off guard when Olivia knew he was looking at her without even seeing him.

Elliot smiled as he watched Munch struggle for the right words that would not set off Olivia's temper. Elliot decided to sit back in his chair and watch the interaction. He was partly glad that Fin was not in the squad room in case some information about the night before was revealed, but he was also partly upset that he could not laugh with anyone.

"No really, John. Tell me. It must be something really important since you've been staring at me almost all day." Olivia said as she turned her chair around so she was facing him completely, crossed her legs, and folded her arms. Elliot knew this was her way of telling people she wasn't joking, he just hoped Munch knew that.

Before Munch had a chance to answer, Casey came walking into the squad room. She made note of Olivia's body position, noticed that she was directed toward Munch, and called attention to it. "Uh Oh ... I'm not sure I want to know what happened here. Care to fill me in?"

Olivia was staring Munch down so she didn't bother to direct her questioning to her. Munch looked terrified at the look Olivia was giving him so she knew he would be no help. So instead she walked around to Elliot's desk. "What happened?" she asked again.

Elliot smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "From what I could make out of it, John was staring at Liv for a long time and she wants to know why but he doesn't want to tell her. But apparently she's determined to know what it is."

Casey nodded once she had all the information. She pulled a chair over and sat, watching the two stare at each other. She could tell Olivia was getting angrier by the second and it was making Munch terrified. Five minutes later, Fin came into the squad room and looked around to find Casey and Elliot staring at Munch and Olivia, who were staring at each other. Fin didn't know what to do so he walked over to where Elliot was seated. He silently pulled up a seat and sat next to Elliot. Elliot debriefed him on what had happened and Fin nodded silently.

Elliot, Casey, and Fin seemed in tranced by what Olivia was going to do next. She hadn't moved much from her crossed legs, and folded arms position since she moved into it close to twenty minutes before, but they could tell she was just about to strike. Cragen walked into the squad room and looked around to find his team and Casey sitting around doing nothing. He noticed that they all seemed to be watching Olivia and Munch stare at each other. At first he thought it might be a staring contest but then he noted Olivia's posture and Munch's terrified expression.

Cragen walked over to Fin, who was the closest to him and tapped him on the shoulder. Fin looked up and fear crossed his face when he saw his boss standing over him. Cragen put his finger to his lips, telling him to be quiet. He motioned for Fin to come closer to him. When Fin got up, it didn't seem to phase anyone in the room. Fin got up and briefed the Captain on what Casey had told her. Cragen nodded and took Fin's seat, motioning for Fin to get another one. He sat and watched for several minutes. Then in his booming voice, he said "I don't see what's so exciting about this."

Everyone, except Olivia, jumped at the sound of his voice. Olivia's gaze was as strong as ever and Munch looked between her and Cragen, not knowing what to do. "Ok, come on, break it up. You guys can settle this outside by the flagpole."

Cragen stood and put his chair back, which silently instructed everyone else to do the same. Casey walked over to Olivia and whispered something in her ear which broke Olivia's intense gaze and shock took it's place.

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**A/N: Ok, I've noticed something. As my writing started getting worse so did the reviews.**** So I tried to make this chapter as good as possible sorry if it still sucks but I hope you all like it. And I've started writing a new story and I hope to have it posted soon so watch out for it :D**


	6. The Café

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back :D Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I got so caught up in my new story **_**Jealousy Hurts All**_** but here's a new chapter :D And I'll make sure not to wait so long to update next time! I hope you guys are still out there reading !!! **

**Since I last left you guys I got grounded twice. Once for "running away" when I actually didn't ... not this time at least and another for literally no reason whatsoever just in case anyone was wondering :D**

**Disclaimer: let's see ... I'm 15, I live in Boston and I get a weekly allowance of $30 ... so no I do not own SVU even though I will one day! I will ... I will!!!!**

**Ok ... enough of my ranting ... on with the story !!!**

Casey and Olivia looked at each other as everyone else put the chairs back and tidied up. Olivia couldn't believe what she heard. I mean, after all of this time had passed, it was always a possibility. Not one that Olivia often thought about, but it was always at the back of her mind.

"Don't say anything though, it's a secret. I'll find you later on today and I'll give you all the details." Casey sauntered off, happy with herself for a reason only known to Olivia.

Olivia turned around to find four pairs of eyes staring at her. She tried to brush it off and make it seem like not a big deal, "You heard her, it's a secret."

Olivia said nothing else about it but instead returned to her paperwork, ignoring the eyes boring into the back of her head.

XOXOXOXO

It was barely twelve when Olivia remembered that she promised Simon that her and Elliot would meet them for lunch. Olivia looked up waiting for Elliot to sense her eyes on him. He looked up within seconds and looked at her questioningly. Without speaking, Olivia looked up at the clock hoping Elliot would follow her eyes. He did, and nodded at her. Without speaking, the two got up. Olivia looked over at Lake and Fin who were the only two in the squad room at the time. Munch was running an errand for Cragen so that made Olivia slightly at ease to leave with Elliot. The two announced that they were going to lunch and walked out of the squad room.

Lake and Fin looked at each other and then back at the duo. When Elliot and Olivia got on the elevator, Fin turned around to Lake and filled him in on everything that happened just three hours before. "So, she just stared?"

"No, man, she was trying to burn holes through his face. If you saw this, you'd be scarred for life. You'd probably transfer out just for that reason." Fin said truthfully, remembering his first encounter with Olivia's temper.

_Flashback... _

_It was a long and frustrating case that was beginning to take its toll on everyone involved. Olivia was the one who seemed to be more determined than anyone else with every failed lead. Fin wanted to go home and sleep for the first time in close to five days. He was not used to these hours in narcotics. Olivia was pushing everyone around, ordering them to find more leads and look into random people who more likely than not had nothing to do with the case. At the same time, the case was slowly eating away at Olivia and she was running herself ragged. Fin was not about to be ordered around by some woman he just met who acted like the Captain._

_Olivia ordered that everyone in the room go over to the crime scene and trying to reenact the crime again, hoping it would help shed some light on the case. Everyone agreed that it was a good idea and most of the people got up to go and check out the crime scene, they needed a new lead and the rest of them were already out of ideas. Fin was the only person who didn't get up when the rest of them did._

"_Something wrong?" Olivia asked noting that he didn't get up when she told them to check the crime scene. The case was taking it's toll on Olivia and she was in no mood to deal with people. She had been awake for close to five days and she was running on pure adrenaline._

_Fin just shook his head and put his feet on his desk, leaning back in his chair. "Nah man, I'm good."_

_Those four words were enough to set Olivia off. She looked around to make sure there were no witnesses. Fin looked around as well and silently cursed himself for not objecting to it when there were people around to save him. Olivia walked over to him and shoved his feet off of his desk and leaned so close Fin could feel her breath on his face. "Listen to me, there is a little girl out there who needs us. Now, I don't care if you're good, bad, or fucking asleep, get up and find this girl."_

_Fin's eyes widened. Her voice was a cold whisper and Fin could swear that he saw her breath when she spoke. He got up and tried to maintain his "tough-guy" attitude as he walked away, when inside he wanted to run for the hills. After that, he never once questioned her orders when she was so wrapped up in a case, or ever for that matter._

_End Flashback ..._

"Fin!"

"What's up, man? You don't havta yell." Fin said as he smiled inwardly remember how frightening Olivia was to him.

"Well then answer me for once, man. What did Munch do?"

Fin laughed remembered the priceless expression on his face. "Honestly, I think he shit himself."

Lake laughed. "That bad, huh?"

Fin continued to laugh as he nodded. They turned back to their paperwork and tried to concentrate before Cragen came out and yelled at them for fooling around.

Elliot and Olivia were in the car, driving to meet Simon and Lucy at the café where Olivia first talked to Simon in person. The car ride was silent for the most part. Olivia was once again lost in her thoughts about her little brother getting married. Elliot didn't want to interrupt her thoughts but he knew exactly what she was thinking. She was wondering if she would ever get married like she always wanted. Elliot reached over and put his hand on her leg and squeezed it lightly. Without asking what she was thinking, mainly because it wasn't necessary, he said "Don't worry, Liv. You'll find the one, I promise." he added with another squeeze.

Olivia looked at him, partly grateful that she didn't have to voice her concerns but also partly shocked that he knew she was thinking that. They came to a red light and Elliot reached his hand up to brush her hair from her face. Olivia looked at him with a smile in her eyes and a confident look on her face. "I think I already did."

Olivia turned her head back to the window and watched as the people and the buildings fly by. Finally, they got to the café and Elliot walked over to open her door. Earning a smile and a playful slap from Olivia. They walked into the café hand in hand. She smiled when she saw Simon and Lucy sitting in a booth. Simon waved her over and stood up to greet them. "Well there's my favorite lovebirds."

Olivia laughed and playfully hit him before turning to Lucy and giving her a hug. Elliot, in turn, reached over to shake hands with Simon. They sat down and ordered, then the interrogation began. Simon seemed to want to know every personal detail about Olivia and Elliot's relationship.

"So, how long has this been going on? Is it serious? How long do you think it will last? Do you think you'll get married?" Simon's questions seemed endless.

Olivia looked at Elliot and laughed putting her hand up in an effort to stop her brother's questions. "You sound like a five year old, Simon. That night you saw us from the window, very creepy by the way, was the first night. Yes, it is serious. Hopefully it will last a long time, and I don't know, marriage is a possibility but we haven't been involved long enough to consider it at this time."

Elliot watched her as she quickly answered all of the questions that were being thrown at her with ease. Their food came and they ate in a comfortable silence. Simon had ran out of questions and was no doubt trying to think of more. Olivia had finished her meal when she remembered that she had to call Casey and get the details to the information she told her this morning. She was dying to tell someone but was sworn to secrecy. Olivia excused herself to go to the bathroom and call Casey. They made arrangements to have dinner at Casey's apartment. Little did Olivia know, there was a special guest there waiting for her.

**A/N: Review :D I'll update within the next five days!**


	7. To Marry or Not To Marry

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews :D Keep them coming! **

**Disclaimer: nope**

Olivia and Elliot spent the rest of lunch fighting off the questions that seemed to have no end. Simon asked everything from the very serious questions to the most ridiculous questions. Finally after the lunch was over, Olivia and Elliot headed back to the precinct. Elliot couldn't stop thinking about Olivia's answer to the marriage question. _Marriage is a possibility but we haven'__t been involved long enough to consider it at this time. _Did that mean that she would marry him if he asked her? That is if he grew the balls to ask her.

Elliot was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that he drove right past the precinct. Olivia's voice was yelling in his ear when he finally realized what he had done. "I'm sorry, Liv. What were you saying?"

Olivia looked at him, confused as to why he still hadn't realized what he was doing. "Well El, I was trying to tell you that you passed the precinct about two blocks ago but apparently you weren't listening."

Elliot mentally cursed himself, now she would think that he doesn't listen to her. His thoughts took him back to the marriage answer. He couldn't understand why he couldn't stop thinking about it. I mean, it wasn't as if she said yes marriage was a very likely option and basically made him obligated to ask her. "I'm sorry, Liv. I guess I was just lost in my own thoughts." he shook his head and rubbed his face in an effort to try to clear his mind.

Olivia looked at him, confused. When he didn't explain what it was he was thinking about, she didn't press the subject. When and if he wants to tell her, he will. Really, the curiosity was killing her, but she didn't want to seem too needy or attached, even though it was obvious she was. Olivia decided to drop the subject and turned her thoughts on the dinner she would be having with Casey. As if reading her thoughts, Elliot asked "What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

Olivia didn't look at him but answered, "Casey invited me over her house so I'm gonna eat over there tonight." She hated turning him down but she already promised Casey and she wanted to learn more about the secret she found out about earlier in the day.

Elliot nodded and looked over to find her avoiding his gaze. He panicked, thinking she could read his thoughts about the marriage question. He reached over and put his hand on her thigh, "Well, how about you come to my house after for dessert?"

Olivia looked at him and grinned as he winked at her. "Sounds like a plan." By this time, Elliot had turned around and was heading back to the precinct. He didn't make any effort to move his hand from her thigh, and Olivia wasn't about to object.

The rest of the day went by relatively fast. Nothing new happened with the cases they were currently working on so the majority of the day was spent working on paperwork. Normally, Olivia would have hated to be stuck inside but for some reason it just seemed like a nice change of pace. She couldn't stop thinking about Casey and going to dinner. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5:45. She decided that she would leave early so that she could go home and at least get a shower in before she went to Casey's. She said her goodbyes and walked out, trying to hurry so that she could have time to pick out her outfit and try to look presentable. She got down to her car and quickly drove to her apartment building, excited when she saw a big spot just a couple of feet away from the front door of her building. She quickly pulled into it and ran into her building. She promised to be at Casey's by 7:30 so she quickly gathered her clothes and got into the shower. While she was in the shower, she decided that she would wear her high boots with her skinny jeans and her black blouse. She washed her hair and quickly got out of the shower. She quickly glanced around her bedroom and saw that her cell phone was lit up. There was a new text message:

_Hey babe, still on for dessert tonight? –El_

Olivia smiled as she secured the towel around her body and went to send a text back. She couldn't decide on what to say and decided to leave it until later as she got ready. She walked into the bathroom and brushed her hair. She then set in big rollers for the sexy curl look. She walked into the bedroom and looked through her drawers for a red lace push-up bra and a matching thong. When she found them, she put them on and grabbed her skinny jeans and one-size-too-small (but not too small) black blouse. She purposely left the top two buttons unbuttoned in anticipation for her night in with Elliot. She pulled her boots on, happy when she saw that they matched her outfit exactly. She moved on to make-up, grabbing her bag and dumping it out. She decided on jet black eyeliner and dark blue eye shadow. She went for the smoky look because it was easier to touch up and lasted longer than a clean look.

Olivia took the rollers out of her hair and teased her hair while spraying some hairspray in it. When she was finally satisfied with the way her hair was set, she grabbed her favorite Victoria's Secret lip gloss and applied it, then sprayed perfume on herself and rubbed a shimmering lotion on the exposed parts of her skin. She was just about to reach over and grab her cell phone to text Elliot back when there was a knock at the door. She looked at the time and noticed it was only 6:30, it couldn't possibly be Casey.

Without look out of the peephole, she opened the door to a surprise. "Elliot? What are you doing here?"

Elliot stepped inside and pushed her up against the wall, kicking the door closed as he did. "Well, since you didn't answer my text I decided to just come over and take you for myself."

Elliot attempted to kiss her but Olivia ducked and he got a mouthful of her hair. He looked at her confused and slightly hurt. She smiled and winked at him, "Lip gloss."

She walked away from him and into the bedroom. "Making it easy for me, Benson?"

Olivia looked back at him and laughed, "You wish."

"So what time are you leaving for Casey's?" Elliot asked as he tried to hold her.

Olivia tried to fight it at first but she couldn't help but smile. She loved his touch and there was nothing she could do to deny it. She moved closer to him and relaxed into his touch, breathing in the scent that she loved so much. "Any minute now."

Elliot didn't say anything; instead he tightened his grip on her. "You look beautiful." He whispered. Olivia tried to speak but her throat wouldn't open enough to allow it. She tried to open her mouth but she was afraid that all of the feelings that she was feeling would spill over, instead she just nodded against his chin as she rested her head on his shoulder. He held her closer as he felt her body melt into his, his strong arms were the only reason she was still standing.

Finally, she felt as if it was safe to talk. "I should probably keep getting ready." She whispered not wanting to ruin the moment that was in the air.

Elliot reluctantly loosened his grip on her as he pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Do you really have to go to dinner tonight?"

His eyes looked pleading but his voice remained strong. Olivia put her head to his and nodded. Elliot nodded in return and kissed her passionately. He let her go to resume what she was doing as he sat on the side of the bed, lying backwards. Olivia began to walk into the bathroom but she turned around to see what he was doing. She laughed when she saw him lying on her bed, obviously trying to calm himself. He looked over at her when he heard her laugh but she had already slipped into the bathroom.

She came out with the things she needed and slipped them into a purse. Casey had gotten her into wearing purses and even though she'd never admit it to the guys, she enjoyed it. She threw in her cell phone, keys, and random other things that she may or may not need for the night. The best thing about purses in her opinion was that she was always prepared for a flaw in her night. She walked back over to the bed and sat next to Elliot patting his knee. He sat up and looked her over. "Why don't you do that for work?"

"Do what?"

"Dress like that or wear make up like that? You look amazing." He said as he twisted one of her curls on the side of her face.

Olivia smiled. "That's exactly why I don't do it. Do you really think I want Munch staring at me all day long?"

Elliot laughed remembering the incident earlier in the day. "Well, that also means you're punishing me too."

Olivia just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Elliot playfully shoved her and Olivia slapped him back. "Well you get me outside of work, isn't that enough?"

Elliot smiled, in his head he was thinking no. He wanted to come home to her every night and deal with her mood swings and her bad days. He wanted to wake up next to her every morning and make love to her every night. He wanted there to be a ring on her finger, signifying to all of the men to back off, that she was his and he would fight to keep her. He wanted a tiny version of her that was half his, and half hers. He wanted a little girl with her exotic features, his icy blue eyes, and their combined stubborn attitude.He couldn't believe he was actually consideringOlivia to marry him.He needed time to sort everything out beforehe made any final decisions.Instead he shook his head and began tracing designs on her inner thigh. He knew this was one of her biggest turn-on spots.

Olivia leaned over close to him and whispered, "How about you stay here while I'm at Casey's so we don't waste any time when I get back?"

Elliot looked at her, trying to calm himself once again. What could he say, she was gorgeous. Elliot nodded and kissed her cheek, being mindful of the fact that she had just reapplied her lip gloss. This would give him the perfect opportunity to think about Olivia and figure out what all of these new feelings and ideas meant - especially the marriage one. Olivia turned and walked out of the door, not wanting to break the silence that was still evident in the apartment.

Olivia quickly drove to Casey's apartment wanting to get this dinner over with and go back to Elliot. She couldn't get it out of her mind that he was waiting for her in her apartment. That thought drove her to drive faster through the streets.

**A/N: I know I'm mean. But I managed to keep the identity of Casey's surprise visitor a secret for another chapter :D But don't worry, I promise I'll tell you who it is next chapter.**


	8. Surprises, Surprises

**A/N: Well since I was informed that Monday was too far away, I've decided to crank out another chapter. This is thanks to fluteskickbrass! **

**Disclaimer: Nope**

Olivia drove quickly throughout the streets, trying to ignore the throbbing between her legs. She turned the radio on and tried to concentrate on the song. The lyrics seemed to be reading her thoughts.

_**But something happened  
For the very first time with you  
My heart melts into the ground  
Found something true  
And everyone's looking round  
Thinking I'm going crazy **_

But I don't care what they say  
I'm in love with you  
They try to pull me away  
But they don't know the truth  
My heart's crippled by the vein

She smiled to herself before changing the station. The last thing she needed to be thinking about right now was Elliot. Finally, she reached Casey's apartment. She looked at herself in the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair making sure everything was still intact. She got out of the car and walked into Casey's building, being greeted and given the once-over by the doorman. She smiled to herself, feeling even more confident knowing that she was still turning heads. She pressed the button for the elevator and waited with another woman.

The woman seemed to have a glow that was similar to the one Olivia knew was all over her. Olivia glanced over at her and noticed a small baby bump sticking out of her shirt. It was barely noticeable unless you were actually looking at her. She looked away and smiled to herself. She hoped that she would be that girl one day; having that pregnancy glow and having people envy her. Her thoughts went back to the song that was on the radio: _**But I don't care what they say I'm in love with you.**_ Suddenly it struck her, she never said 'I love you' to Elliot before she left. She scrambled for her cell phone and opened up a text to send to him.

Hey El, sorry I didn't say it earlier, I love you. – Liv.

She smiled to herself as she hit send and imagined his reaction when he got it. She didn't notice the pregnant woman watching her and smiling. "That's sweet."

Olivia looked up, startled. She wasn't aware that anyone was watching her. "Excuse me?"

The woman suddenly looked nervous and shy. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help but notice the message you were sending. I said that it was sweet."

Olivia smiled, hoping that it eased the woman's mind and assured her that she wasn't angry. "Thanks, Congratulations by the way."

The woman looked surprised that she actually noticed. "I can't believe you actually noticed that. Is it really that noticeable?"

Olivia smiled at the woman, "No, not really. You just have this glow and I figured it out."

The elevator dinged and they walked into the elevator together, both reaching to press the same number. They laughed and Olivia reached over and pushed it. "I'm going to tell him now, you know."

Olivia looked at her and smiled. "That's awesome. I hope everything goes well."

The woman nodded. "I'm Ashley Williams by the way."

Olivia stretched her arm out to shake Ashley's, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Olivia Benson."

The woman's face changed. "Olivia Benson? Aren't you that detective who's always in the paper? I thought you looked familiar."

Olivia laughed, "Yeah, that's me. That's one of the more glamorous parts of the job."

The woman laughed and absentmindedly rubbed her growing belly. "Do you have kids?"

Olivia looked away and then back at the woman, "No."

"Do you want them?" The woman asked, seeming hesitant about her choice of words.

Olivia smiled to herself, "Yeah, I would love them."

The woman smiled as the elevator dinged and they both started toward the door. They both laughed and Olivia stepped aside to let her through the door. They paused outside the elevator to say their goodbyes. "I hope we get to meet again, Olivia. You're a pretty amazing woman."

Olivia slightly blushed at the comment, "Thank you. If you ever need to help or if you just need to chat you can call me." Olivia said, reaching into her bag for her card. "I'd love to hear from you. Congratulations and good luck."

The woman and Olivia went their separate ways and Olivia knocked on Casey's door. There was a huge smiled plastered on her face but she couldn't make it go away. Casey opened the door and took in Olivia's appearance. "Always looking amazing and might I add, you're glowing again."

Olivia laughed and walked into Casey's apartment. She didn't comment on Casey's glowing comment but smiled even more. "Wow, you guys just can't keep your hands off of each other. Lemme guess, you guys had a quicky before coming here?"

Olivia laughed, "Actually we didn't. This isn't a sex glow. It's just a glow."

Casey's eyes widened. "He told you he loves you, am I right?"

"Well he already said that before but yes you are right." Olivia looked around and noticed another coat on the hanger that she knew didn't belong to Casey. She chose to ignore it and turned back to Casey.

"Oh My God, you're pregnant."

Olivia laughed harder and shook her head no. "No Casey, I'm very sorry to disappoint you but I'm not pregnant. It's just a glow, a happy glow."

Casey nodded slowly, trying to make sure there wasn't a baby bump showing through her clothes. When she didn't find one she walked into the living room. Olivia walked beside her and took her rightful place on the couch. No matter what, Olivia always sat in the same spot. As soon as she sat down, her phone started vibrating in her bag. She got up and walked over to her purse to answer it. She saw that it was a new text message:

_Hey Liv, it's ok. Can't wait until you come home. I love you too. - El._

Olivia smiled to herself as she read and reread the message. She quickly sent one back.

_I should be home soon, I miss you. - Liv._

Olivia almost put her phone back into her purse but then put it in her pocket and turned around to see a face she never thought she'd see again. "Alex?"

Alex's face lit up as she opened her arms to invite Olivia into a hug. Olivia quickly composed herself and hugged Alex tightly. "Oh my God. What are you doing here?"

Alex laughed and tried to compose herself as good as Olivia had, but failed. The tears fell and she sniffed before speaking. "They let me out of witness protection. He's gone."

Olivia smiled the biggest smile. She was about to say something before Alex cut her off. "So, Elliot., huh? Did I not tell you?"

Olivia blushed slightly and turned away. "Yes, you did tell me and I didn't believe you."

"I was listening to you and Casey talking. So this glow isn't from sex, it's not from being pregnant, so what is it from, Ms. Benson." Alex joked as she led Olivia over to the couch.

Olivia just smiled, "It's just from being in love."

Olivia finally voiced it to someone other than Elliot. It was the best feeling in the world. "Yeah, I'm in love."she whispered half to herself and half to the girls.

Alex and Casey smiled at each other. They finally heard the words they both knew were true for years. Olivia expertly diverted the questioning onto Alex and found out all about where she had been for all those years. "Well, I was Hilary Montgomery in Colorado. I worked in this little antique shop close to the mountains. The pay was pretty good but there wasn't much to do. I often found myself bored and looking for things to do. I made some pretty good friends but I always felt bad that I was leading them on. For all they knew I really was Hilary Montgomery. But other than that, I've been living in basically seclusion for the past couple of years. You however, Ms. Benson, have been living an amazing life. At least recently."

Olivia smiled and was about to respond when she felt the vibration of her phone yet again. She pulled it out of her pocket and held up one finger to the girls telling them to hold on. It was yet another text message from Elliot,

_Good because if you leave me here too long your water bill will be pretty high with all the cold showers I've been taking. – Love El._

Olivia laughed but quickly covered up her screen so that Alex and Casey couldn't see what he had wrote. She wrote one back,

_Well that's your fault for going through my drawers_ ;) _you're such a guy — Love Liv._

Olivia quickly closed her phone and stuck it back into her pocket. The girls went into the dining room to eat and the conversation switched back and forth between Olivia's life and Alex's life. Casey was the one asking most of the questions and keeping the flow of the conversation going, trying successfully to keep the conversation out of her love life with John. Olivia asked when she was planning on coming back to the squad and seeing everyone again. Alex told her that she was coming in on Monday and to keep it a secret until then. Olivia promised and felt her phone vibrating again. "Another text from Mr. Wonderful?" Alex joked.

Olivia laughed and read the message.

_You weren't complaining about me being a guy last night _;) _and I bet you won't be complaining tonight. — Love El._

Olivia once again laughed and covered up the screen as Alex tried to lean over and get a peek at what was so funny. Olivia sent another one back,

_Well, that all depends on your performance, Mr. Stabler and if you have the ability to satisfy me. I'm leaving really soon –Liv._

Olivia put her phone away and looked at the time. It was 9:45. She wanted to get back home to Elliot but she didn't want to leave Alex just yet. It was almost as if Alex was reading her mind. "Go, Olivia. I'm not going anywhere."

Olivia smiled, "How did you know?"

Alex shook her head, "It's written all over your face."

Olivia laughed and stood up to grab her bag and dropped her phone into it. She turned back to Alex and hugged her, promising to be back tomorrow. She hugged Casey and told Casey to be expecting her.

"I'm not going to take that comment seriously, after what Elliot's going to do to you tonight you probably won't be able to walk ." Casey laughed.

Olivia laughed, shook her head, and swatted Casey. She walked out of the apartment, still promising to be there tomorrow. She took the elevator down to the first floor and walked out, saying goodnight to the doorman. She got in her car and looked at herself in the mirror. She was happy when she noticed that she didn't look that much different from when she left her apartment. She applied more lip gloss and fluffed her hair before pulling out of her parking spot. She drove off and took the back streets to try and avoid the late night traffic that she had grown accustom to. She parked in her usual spot near the front of her apartment building. She looked at the time before shutting the car off. It was 10:30. She was surprised that it took her that long to get back to her apartment. She was greeted by her night doorman and complimented on her looks. She decided to take the elevator and once she pressed the button, it dinged and the doors opened. She smiled and pushed the button for her floor.

She walked down the hallway to her door and slipped her key in. She turned the key and opened the door slowly. She saw candles lit everywhere and rose petals on the floor. She smiled to herself as she dropped her keys in the bowl near the door and put her purse right next to it. She walked quietly looking around for Elliot. She didn't have to look far, she found him passed out on the couch with a white rose in his hand. She noticed a small box on the floor and slowly bent down to pick it up, trying not to make any sudden movements to wake him. She opened it slowly and tried not to verbally gasp at the sight she saw.

Inside the box was the most beautiful engagement ring she had ever seen in her life. It was a big emerald shaped diamond with two smaller emerald shaped diamonds in a platinum setting and band. She felt her eyes water and she blinked back the tears. She closed the box and slid it into his pocket slowly so that it wouldn't wake him up. She sat on the couch next to him and took the rose from his hand. She used it to tickle his face. She laughed when she saw him squirm in his sleep and swat the rose away. Once she laughed, his eyes popped open and squinted trying to adjust to the light. She smiled down at him and she smiled back, his eyes closing. She moved him so that she could lay next to him. He didn't seem to mind it as he wrapped his arms around her and inhaled deeply. Elliot slowly drifted back to sleep but Olivia stayed awake. _He was going to propose to me?_ Olivia couldn't get the smile off of her face. She finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming only about the engagement ring.

Olivia woke up and shot up from her place on the couch. She couldn't remember where she was. Then all of the memories from the night before came back at her and she relaxed. Alex was back and Elliot was planning on proposing to her. She suddenly turned and noticed she was alone on the couch. She looked around and saw all the rose petals and the candles in the room. Only now, it seemed like they were headed in a different direction than they were last night. Last night they were directed toward the couch but now they were directed to the dining room. Olivia got up and looked at herself in the mirror, quickly fixing her hair and make up as best as she could. She walked across the living room and followed the trail of rose petals into the dining room. There she saw Elliot sitting with his feet up on another chair, obviously waiting for her. He sensed her presence and looked up, smiling when he saw her leaning on the doorframe watching him. "Hey." he said as he moved his feet off of the chair and stood up.

Olivia smiled and walked over to him, "Hey, how long have you been up?"

"Not long, I didn't want to wake you so I came in here." he said as he kissed her letting his lips hover slightly longer than he normally would have.

Olivia smiled, her stomach flipped and her heart fluttered. He just had that effect on her. He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled at her, he couldn't believe what he was about to do. "Olivia, you're the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. You complete me in more ways than one. I can't imagine my life without you and I know this may seem like it's going fast but I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Will you marry me?"

Olivia's eyes widened as Elliot got down on one knee and opened the box that she had found the night before. Sure, she was expecting it but she just wasn't expecting it so soon. Olivia's lungs felt like they were going to burst as she inhaled without letting any of the air out. Her eyes were watering and she had the beginnings of a smile on her face. She looked at Elliot and back and the ring too many times to count. Olivia tried to open her mouth to voice her answer but no sound came out. Instead she just nodded and smiled her biggest smile - the one she reserved especially for him. Elliot smiled as he slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her passionately, securing her head with his hand on the back of her neck. They had a repeat of the night before, only with slightly more passion and slightly more love than either had ever experienced. Olivia didn't want to leave the arms of Elliot but she knew she had to tell Casey and Alex in person since she knew they would never believe her over the phone.

Olivia reluctantly got out of the bed and noted that it was 1:30pm. She quickly got in the shower, turning down Elliot's offer of showering together. Even though she would've loved it, she needed to get ready and she knew that if they made love yet again, she really wouldn't be able to walk. She took a quick shower and walked into their bedroom with just a towel on. She picked a black form fitting shirt so that it showed off her curves and contrasted her ring perfectly. She picked another pair of skinny jeans, slightly lighter than the ones she wore the night before and her favorite pair of black heels. She then chose a black silk thong and a black silk bra to complete the ensemble. She was enjoying the effect she knew she was having on Elliot even though he didn't voice it. She slipped on her clothing and then completed the look with black eyeliner and mascara with a slightly smudged look. She liked the way her hair looked after she got out of the shower so she just sprayed hair spray in it and left it the way it was. She grabbed her purse and walked out of the bathroom. She gave Elliot a kiss goodbye and told him that she loved him.

She had a huge smile plastered on her face once she arrived at Casey's apartment. She couldn't believe she was engaged to Elliot. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize that there was another person in the elevator with her who had already pressed the button for Casey's floor. She finally looked around and noticed that Ashley was in the same elevator as her, still wearing that amazing pregnancy glow on her. Only this time, she had the biggest smile on her face and she looked back from Olivia's face to her left hand. Olivia smiled too when she realized what she was looking at. "It just happened this morning."

Olivia stretched her hand out to show Ashley her engagement ring and Ashley took in its beauty, "You're gonna be pregnant soon. I can just tell."

Olivia laughed and secretly hoped she was right. They made plans to meet the next day for coffee and talk about stuff. Ashley seemed a little jumpy but didn't voice any definite problem. Olivia decided to ignore it until coffee the next day when she could actually have a decent conversation with her. They got off of the elevator and promised to meet the next day. Olivia expertly hid her hand by pretending to fix her shirt as Casey opened the door. "Wow, you actually made it here."

Olivia laughed and kept pretending to fix the left side of her shirt. They hugged and Olivia decided to have Casey notice. She reached up with her left hand to scratch her cheek and Casey noticed the new ring that occupied Olivia's finger. Casey screamed for Alex and Alex came running out with fear written all over her face. She visibly relaxed when she saw that it was Olivia and not someone else. She saw what Casey was staring at and screamed as well, running over to hug Olivia. It was going to be a long day of explaining for Olivia. She could only imagine what it was going to be like at work on Monday.

**A/N: You can thank fluteskickbrass for this update sooner than I had originally anticipated. Hope you all enjoy it. ****Emerald cut diamonds are my favorite LOL.**


	9. Going Downhill

**A/N: Thanks again to fluteskickbrass ... she is the best person to go to for writer's block, seriously. I had horrible writers block and I sent a message to her about it and I was flowing with ideas not even 10 minutes after I talked to her. Absolutely amazing. Yet another chapter just for you :D Oh and if you guys wanna see the picture I was trying to paint of Olivia's engagement ring, I have a picture of what I had in mind on my page. Check it out :D**

Olivia, Alex, and Casey stayed in Casey's apartment as Casey got ready. She had work today but she was putting off going for as long as she possibly could. She wanted to stay home and relax, like any normal person would. Olivia then reminded her that Munch was working today and she started to move faster, and stopped complaining so much about going to work. Olivia noticed this change and laughed, making a mental note to talk to Casey in private about what was actually going on with her and Munch. Casey convinced Olivia to go to work with her today just to say hi to the guys. Olivia reluctantly accepted once Casey threatened to tell everyone about her engagement, and she knew Casey wasn't kidding.

Olivia waited with Alex in the living room and told her all the details about the proposal. She also told Alex that it seemed so quick at first but now it just seemed like the right thing to do after all those years. Casey finally was ready, and Olivia said good bye to Alex who still couldn't leave until her appearance on Monday.

The car ride was relatively silent when Olivia had finished telling Casey all about the proposal for the third time that day. Olivia couldn't wipe the grin off of her face as they pulled into a parking spot near the precinct. Casey begged her to tell the story again but Olivia refused and jokingly threatened to hit her if she asked again. Casey reluctantly stops asking and they walk together into the precinct. Olivia lets Casey go her own separate way while she goes to the squad room to say hi to Munch and Fin who were working. She pulled her sweatshirt sleeve over her left hand, expertly covering the ring. She wanted to wait until Monday to tell them with Elliot and she was hoping that they wouldn't notice. Olivia strides into the 1-6 precinct and is shocked to find Elliot sitting at her desk with Munch and Fin surrounding him. Elliot was telling them a story that seemed extremely interesting to Fin and Munch. Olivia looked around, wondering why the Captain hadn't seen them goofing off. She ducked next to the file cabinet with a uniformed officer and listened to the conversation.

"Yeah, so her name was Ashley." Elliot was saying. "She was really sweet and all but she wanted me all the time and with this job we all know that's practically impossible."

Olivia felt her stomach turn as she listened to him recount his days as a single man, jumping from woman to woman.

"She was great in bed though. I was tempted to call her a couple of weeks ago but I didn't. Something told me not to, even though I was really close to." Elliot, Munch, and Fin laughed as they leaned back in their chairs.

Olivia thought this would be as good a time as any to reveal herself. She straightened her sweatshirt and made sure her sleeve was pulled over her ring and walked in as if she just came off of the elevator. "Hey guys. What's so funny?"

Elliot quickly spun around and stood up to face her. "Oh nothing babe." he said as he leaned over to kiss him.

Olivia didn't want to let them know that she had been listening in on their conversation. Olivia couldn't stop thinking about how Elliot had wanted to call her a couple of weeks ago. She kept thinking that she was his alternative to that Ashley woman. "What's wrong, babe?"

Olivia looked up and Elliot questioningly, "Nothing, I just came here with Casey and decided to drop in and see how the guys were doing. What are you doing here?"

Elliot looked back at the guys and then to Olivia, "Oh nothing really, we were just chatting about some guy stuff."

Olivia didn't know whether to hit him or just walk away. She chose the latter. Elliot looked confused as she walked over to her desk and pulled some items out of the drawers. Elliot noticed that she was covering her ring and secretly pulled her over to the side. "Let's tell them now."

Olivia looked up at him and she didn't want to tell him no. Telling him no would make it seem like she didn't want people to know. Olivia nodded her head and turned around, taking her sweatshirt off as she did. Elliot walked over to the guys, guiding Olivia by putting his hand on the small of her back. "Guys, we have something to tell you."

He paused for a moment making sure he had all of their attention. "We're getting married."

Munch looked like he was about to have a heart attack and Fin looked confused. Olivia lifted up her left hand and showed off her new engagement ring. Munch dropped back into his chair and just stared without blinking. Fin walked over to examine it and his eyes widened when he saw the size and the clarity of the diamonds. Olivia smiled when Fin pulled her into a hug and laughed when he wouldn't let go. "Fin, I have to go. Are you going to let go of me?"

Fin didn't say anything but moved back and he still had his shock-stricken look on his face. "Where are you going?" Elliot asked as he went to kiss her.

"Lunch, I'll be back soon." Elliot noted a chill in her voice but decided to ignore it for now, at least until she got back from lunch.

He watched as Olivia walked away and got onto the elevator. Just as quickly as she was gone, Elliot was left alone to answer all the questions about the proposal.

Olivia still couldn't get Elliot's words out of her mind. _I was tempted to call her a couple of weeks ago but I didn't._ Olivia couldn't help but think that she was the reason he didn't call that Ashley woman. Normally that would have made her happy, but she didn't want to be his second choice. Olivia pulled into the spot next to the café that she was meeting Ashley at. She didn't think about the fact that the woman she was going to meet and the woman Elliot slept with had the same name until Ashley came walking up and smiled at her. By that time, it was too late to cancel. It's not like she wanted to cancel on her after the uncertainty she heard in Ashley's voice but the name would be a constant reminder all day. Olivia quickly noticed the bruise on Ashley's arm as she sat down. "So, you sounded kind of jumpy yesterday. Is everything ok?"

Olivia tried to make it sound that she was purely interested but she was failing miserably. Ashley knew that she saw the bruises and being the detective that she is it wasn't hard to figure it out. "I guess you saw the bruises. Things didn't go as well as I planned it the other night. Jake, my boyfriend, accused me of cheating on him. He told me that the baby wasn't his because he wasn't even in town the week the doctor's said I conceived. I think the baby is his but honestly I was with someone else while Jake was out of town. I don't know what to do. After I told him that I was pregnant and he accused me of cheating, he started hitting me and now I'm scared to go home. He calls me a home-wrecking slut and hits me all the time. I'm afraid he's gonna hit the baby or hurt the baby."

Ashley was visibly fighting back the tears that were welling in her eyes. The thoughts of Elliot and his woman were long gone out of Olivia's mind. All she was focused on was getting Ashley the help she needed and convincing her to file a report. "Ok Ashley, here's what we have to do. You need to file a report on your boyfriend and tell how he is abusing you. Then you need to get a paternity test to see if this baby really is his. If not, then you have to find the father and tell him. He deserves to know that he's fathered your child."

Olivia was trying not to seem so bossy but she couldn't help it. She didn't want anything bad happening to Ashley or to her unborn child. To Olivia's surprise Ashley agreed to do everything she said. Olivia was expecting to have to do a lot more convincing than that. Olivia told Ashley that she would drive her to the precinct and take her statement and help her file a report against her boyfriend. The car ride was relatively silent. "So, what's his name?" Ashley asked.

"Elliot." Olivia replied.

Ashley just nodded and smiled. "Congratulations by the way. I never said that."

Olivia laughed. "Thanks."

The rest of the car ride was silent as Olivia drove and Ashley stared out the window rubbing her growing belly. Olivia noticed it was becoming a habit of hers. Olivia smiled and thought maybe one day soon she'd have a growing belly like Ashley's. For now, she decided to just focus on Ashley and putting her abusive boyfriend in jail. They pulled into a parking spot right near the precinct and walked up the stairs. They crowded into an elevator and Olivia pushed the button. They got off at the floor and Olivia told Ashley to sit in the chair next to her desk as she went to grab a file out of the filing cabinet. She started to walk over when Elliot stopped in front of her. "What's wrong, Liv?"

Olivia didn't say anything, she didn't smile and she didn't react. She just tried to walk around him. When she tried that, he moved in front of her, blocking her path yet again. Finally she sighed, "I have work to do, Elliot."

Elliot let her pass but followed her trying to get her to talk to him. He followed her all the way over to her desk where he saw a woman sitting. Before he even looked at the woman's face, he noticed her rubbing her stomach which was slightly bigger. He remembered this habit from all the times Kathy was pregnant. It was at this time that he looked up and saw the face of the woman. He nearly had a heart attack when he realized who it was. It was Ashley, the woman he has been with a couple of weeks back. "Elliot?" she asked leaning forward slightly.

"Ashley?" Elliot asks walking closer to make sure it's the right woman. At this time, Munch and Fin looked up and there was fear evident on their faces.

Ashley stood up quickly and took a step closer to Elliot. Without even thinking, she blurted out, "I think I'm pregnant with your baby."

Olivia stood, looking at both Elliot and Ashley. She couldn't believe that her fiancé might be the father of the baby of a woman who she was helping. Olivia needed to get out of there. She couldn't feel her legs but they managed to get her out of the precinct as quickly as possible. She heard Elliot yelling after her, and Fin stopping him before he did something he was going to regret. Olivia went to the one place which has always helped her think: the roof. She made her way up as quickly as she could so that she wouldn't be seen. It wouldn't matter though, everyone would already know where she was. She always went to the roof, it was her form of an escape.

She didn't know how long she was up there before she heard footsteps behind her. She couldn't stop thinking about Elliot and Ashley no matter how hard she tried. She knew the footsteps weren't Elliot's but she couldn't tell who's they were. Finally, Fin came to her side and sat on the ground next to her. She didn't look over at him but she also didn't look away from him. Fin took this as a good sign and began to speak. "Liv, I really do not think that baby is Elliot's. I know you heard him this morning too. You heard it yourself, he didn't call her. He went to you."

Olivia scoffed and turned to face him. "That's just it. I was the second choice. I don't know Fin, maybe I'm just being whiny but I just can't stand the thought of being Elliot's second choice."

Fin laughed. "Will you stop worrying about whining? I think with all the years of being tough detective Benson you've earned it. And don't blame Elliot for it. He's not used to having you there for him whenever he wants you. This is a new concept for him. And Liv, when he really wanted you, you weren't there. You were undercover with the FBI. He had to go to other people. Now, he's going to kill me for telling you this but you need to know. When you were undercover something happened between Dani Beck and Elliot. I can't say for sure what it was but it definitely wasn't professional. I'm not trying to hurt you by telling you this, Liv. I just think your relationship with Elliot would be so much better if everything was out in the open."

Olivia looked at Fin. She knew something happened with Dani Beck. She always had a hunch about that woman but there was never enough evidence to back it. Olivia needed to take some time and think this all through. She stood up with the help of Fin and walked over to the door. Before they opened it Olivia asked, "How did you know I was there this morning?"

Fin just smiled and put his arm around her. "You're a gorgeous woman, how could I not notice you?"

Olivia laughed and jokingly punched him in the arm. "Wow, it's a wonder a man like you isn't taken yet."

Olivia didn't feel like talking to anyone in the squad room and told Fin to make sure no one spoke to her. Fin nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. She didn't want Elliot or Ashley to talk to her. Fin acted like her bodyguard as they made their way back into the precinct. Elliot just watched her from afar and Ashley had already written her report and left. Olivia was grateful that Elliot knew her so well and knew better than to approach her. She knocked on Cragen's door and was told to enter. As she opened the door, she caught the last few words of the woman's sentence. "Can't you just put me back at my old position." the woman said, before turning around to see who was coming in.

Olivia started at the woman. Dani Beck was back, asking for her old job back.

**A/N: I'm soooooooooo sorry this took so long. I had all the ideas written out and everything but I have literally two papers I'm working on that are 6-8 pages each so I was just so overwhelmed. I hope you like it. I'll update sooner next time, I promise.**


	10. Test Results

**A/N: Hey guys :D thanks for all the reviews. I hope you like this update !**

**Disclaimer: nope ... not mine**

Olivia stood there, dumbstruck. She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to say. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck raise and her fists clenched and unclenched. Cragen knew that she was trying to calm herself down before she did something she would regret. Cragen stood up and walked over by Olivia, making sure that he was between the two in case anything did break out. "Is everything ok, Liv?"

He knew that 'Liv' was something that Elliot always called her and it seemed to visibly calm her down. Cragen took in her appearance. She was physically worn out and was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Cragen remembered that she wasn't supposed to be in today and wondered why she was. "Um ... yeah Cap everything's fine. I just wanted to talk to you but I can see it's a bad time so I'll just come back later."

Without thinking Olivia reached her left hand up to brush her hair out of her face and Cragen saw the engagement ring shining in the light of his office. He was completely shocked, he hadn't even known that Olivia was seeing anyone. His thoughts immediately went to Elliot and how he would take it when he found out, if he didn't know already. Olivia thanked him and apologized for interrupting, leaving Cragen to stand there trying to compose himself to talk to Dani.

Olivia walked back over to her desk and sat down, the first file on her desk was Ashley's. She was tempted to just throw it in the trash but her professionalism wouldn't allow her to. As much as she wanted to just throw the file away she knew Ashley needed help. She opened the file and began reading it. She cringed at the details that she was reading, and was slightly grateful that she wasn't the one who had to write about this account. She could feel Elliot's eyes on the back of her head but didn't turn around. She didn't want to have to talk to him right now. She looked at her ring and began twisting it around her finger. She didn't realize Casey walking in the precinct watching her. "Ok, come on Liv. We all know it's beautiful, stop silently gloating."

Olivia laughed and stood up to hug Casey. She noticed Casey had clothes in her hand and also that Casey was looking drop dead gorgeous. Casey was wearing a powder blue dress that looked amazing with her skin tone and her blonde hair. She was wearing black strappy heels and a silver necklace with a heart on it. Casey's hair was straightened but there was more volume in it than there normally would be. Olivia looked at her confused. "What's going on?"

"Liv, we are taking you and Elliot out to celebrate. This is your dress and these are your shoes. And I will be doing your hair and makeup." Casey was visibly excited about catching her friend off guard. It was something that didn't happen very often and Casey jumped at the chance whenever it arose.

Olivia looked around at Fin and silently asked him to help her out of this. He just shrugged. Olivia should have known better, he wouldn't do anything that would go against Casey. He knew that she knew where Alex was and he didn't want to jeopardize the chance that she could possibly tell him. Olivia rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Casey. "No, Casey. It's ok, really. We don't need a dinner."

Casey completely ignored Olivia and pulled her by the arm toward the bathroom. "Casey, really it's ok ."

Casey didn't seem to be paying attention to Olivia's pleas. Olivia finally gave up, seeing as how there was no way she was going to stop Casey. Olivia was practically thrown into the bathroom. She decided to stop refusing Casey, as it would only slow the process. She took the dress out of the bag and held it up. It was black and came down to her knees. Olivia also noticed it was backless, which was her favorite kind of dress. She walked into the stall to put it on. She took extra long, not on purpose. She just kept thinking of how the evening was going to play out. She didn't want there to be any awkward moments but she knew there would be. Olivia finally came out of the stall wearing the dress. She was happy that she had worn a thong today so that there wouldn't be a panty line, and also happy that she had shaved. "God, Liv. You just can't let anyone look even remotely good next to you, can ya?"

Olivia smiled and walked over to the mirror to look at herself. She had to admit that she looked great for someone who didn't get much sleep the night before. The glow from the previous night was still all over her which surprised Olivia, considering the day she was having. She was grateful for it because Casey would never know anything was wrong with the happy couple as long as no one told her. Casey pulled one of the folding chairs over and sat it directly in front of the mirror. "Sit." she commanded.

Olivia obeyed. At this point she completely gave up trying to stop Casey from making her up. It might be good to get out and have a nice relaxing dinner. Elliot, however, wasn't as calm.

"Guys, stop. We're not going out to dinner and I'm not wearing that." Elliot was getting seriously pissed. He was about to hit Fin but stopped when he realized how angry Olivia would be with him. The thought of Olivia calmed him slightly but he still refused to put on the shirt.

"Elliot, we're not kidding. You're going to dinner with Liv and you're going to enjoy yourselves. And if you even think of bringing up anything that happened today, I will kill you." Fin's threat was clear and serious.

"You know Olivia has already stopped trying to fight this. She certainly doesn't have the energy to keep resisting. Just act like this is something that you want to do. It will make Liv happy." Munch used his only weakness to his advantage. Elliot was taken aback by Munch's words of reason. He was actually making sense and not ranting about some giant government conspiracy.

Elliot sighed and grabbed the shirt and tie from Fin. It was Olivia's favorite dark blue dress shirt. She once told him how much it brought out his eyes. He thought about Olivia and couldn't believe how much she must be hurting right now. He just knew he wasn't the father. He was so sure that he took Ashley to see Melinda and take a paternity test. They both got blood taken and Melinda explained to both of them that she would call them as soon as she got the results and that she moved this to the top of her to-do list. Ashley was roughly thirteen weeks pregnant so the paternity test could be done. Melinda wasn't kidding about it being the first thing she would do. The second the two left she sent it out and put an extremely urgent rush on it. Elliot worried about when he would get those test results. He was so certain that he wasn't the father of this baby and he wanted to prove this to Olivia and beg her forgiveness. He couldn't believe that not even twenty-four hours ago everything was perfect and now their relationship is on the rocks.

Elliot had to convince himself over and over again as he got dressed that he and Olivia would make it through this. They were strong. This is what they always did: they fought and stayed mad for a couple of days but were always ok in the end. But for some reason, he couldn't convince himself fully. It was different this time. He had hurt her more than anyone had dared to. Even though she refused to show it, he knew it. He knew his Liv.

Fin and Munch tried to give him several pep talks. Each one worked, but only for a few minutes. They decided to stop and let Liv handle it. Elliot sat on one of the beds in the cribs and thought. All he could think about was Melinda and that paternity test. He couldn't believe that with his life and all of his Catholic ways he would ever have to take a paternity test. Then again, he also couldn't believe that he divorced his wife of almost twenty years and had fallen madly in love with his partner of almost ten years. His phone rang, disrupting his thoughts. It was Melinda. _It can't be. _Elliot thought.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Elliot. It's Melinda. We got the test results back."_

"Already? I thought it would take much longer." Elliot asked, standing up and pacing, one of his nervous habits.

What Elliot didn't notice was Olivia leaning up against the wall on the other side of the open door, listening and waiting on pins and needles.

"_Normally it would. But I told you I would make this my first priority. There's a guy I know who has been dying to take me on a date. I told him I'd go out with him as long as he got back to me within the hour."_

Elliot laughed. "Wow, Melinda. Using some poor man like that."

"_Hey, it worked" Melinda laughed. "And Elliot Stabler, you are not the father of Ashley Williams baby."_

"I knew it." Elliot was so happy he could cry. "I just had this feeling the whole time that I wasn't the baby's father. God, Liv's gonna be so happy."

Elliot rushed the rest of the conversation with Melinda and hung up the phone as he ran out of the room. He nearly knocked Olivia over when he ran out. They stood there, staring at each other. He knew by the look on her face that she had heard his conversation as well as the results. Elliot reached over and hugged her so tight he was so sure she couldn't breathe. Olivia returned the hug with just as much passion. The tears were brimming her eyes and a couple slipped out and ran down her face. Elliot pulled out of the hug first and cupped her face with his hands. Even with the tears running down her face, it hadn't disturbed her makeup or her beauty. He used his thumbs to wipe away the tear streaks as Olivia closed her eyes. "You don't know how happy I am." Olivia whispered.

Elliot smiled at the sincerity and vulnerability in her voice. He tipped her chin up and kissed her with as much passion as there was with the hug. Olivia's arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Elliot pulled away. "Actually I do."

Olivia looked up at him, her eyes were starting to tear up again. "I didn't think we were going to make it through this, Olivia. I mean I know we fight a lot but this isn't like any other fight. I hurt you and even though you won't show it I know it's true. Olivia, I love you and I want to be with you. I never meant to hurt you, I chose you because I love you. You weren't my second choice, Liv." Olivia's eyes widened.

"How did you—?"

"Fin told me. Liv, I can't believe you would think that. You were always my first choice. No one ever compared to you, and no one will. If you're still mad at me or if you can't trust me just yet, I'll be hurt but I'll understand, Liv. I'm willing to wait until you are ready." Elliot didn't want to look her in the eyes. He didn't want her to hand him back the ring and tell him she never wanted to see him again. He knew he was probably thinking too extreme, but after all, this was Olivia.

The air was thick between them. Elliot was starting to sweat as he waited for Olivia's response. Olivia, was carefully choosing her words. She could feel her throat closing up. She was about to cry but she didn't want to. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She looked up at Elliot. "I don't want to leave you, but I will..."

Elliot's heart sank to his feet. Did that mean she was leaving him? He was half expecting her to turn and leave right there. Elliot's breath became shallow and quick. He couldn't breathe.

"If you ever do this again." A small smile came on Olivia's face. This smile was Elliot's cue. He rushed over and picked Olivia up, swinging her around. Olivia laughed as she wrapped her arms around Elliot's neck. "Well, we should probably get down there. They'll think we're doing something 'unprofessional'" Olivia laughed.

"Oh don't worry, baby. We'll be doing something unprofessional soon." Elliot winked at her as he grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs.

**A/N: REVIEW :D**


	11. Cragen's Blessing

**A/N: hey guys ... it's been a really really big week for me :D I went from bleach blonde to dark brunette in a matter of minutes! It looks good but it was such a huge shock! But I love it now LOL :D Keep up all the reviews guys ! I love them ... and all of you :D**

**Disclaimer: nope ... sadly. **

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Olivia and Elliot rejoined the gang near the elevators. Casey was walking toward Cragen's office when Olivia called her over. "Where are you going?"

Casey looked at Olivia confused, "Um ... I was going to tell your boss that you're leaving to celebrate your engagement to Elliot. Wow, Liv, what did he do to you up there that you can't even remember it?"

Olivia rolled her eyes at Casey. She always had a way of making everything sexual. "I'll go Casey. After all, he is my boss."

Olivia thought she had made it into the clear when Casey darted in front of her. "You haven't told him."

Olivia refused to make eye contact with Casey and that gave her all the proof she needed. "LIV! I cannot believe you didn't tell him! He's going to find out eventually."

"Casey, shut up. He's gonna hear you." Olivia said, praying her friend wouldn't make a scene about it. "I went in there but he was busy so I didn't get a chance to. I'll do it later, Case. Just let it go."

"I don't believe that bull, Cragen is never too busy to ignore one of his favorite detectives."

"There was someone in the room. I couldn't talk about it then, I told him I would come back, but I just never got around to it." Olivia slowly moved toward the elevator hoping the rest of the gang would migrate with her, they didn't. They seemed torn by who they wanted to stand with. Olivia knew most of the guys feared her in someway, but at this point, there were feelings at stake. Elliot was obviously going to side with Olivia and Munch was obviously going to side with Casey. Then there was Fin. He was deathly afraid of Olivia but he knew Casey knew where Alex was. He was the one who was torn. He couldn't decide. Luckily, Fin didn't have enough time to get caught up in it all. While everyone was busy staring at each other, trying to figure out what to do, Cragen walked up and was watching them.

"So, why are you guys all dressed up?" Cragen's voice made them all jump, especially Olivia.

_Fuck, _she thought. _What am I going to do now? He's going to ask who I'm engaged to. I knew this was a bad idea to begin with._

Luckily for Olivia, Casey jumped in to save her friend's ass. "Oh, well I just won a big case for one of my colleagues and I heard about this new place that just opened up and I thought, why not? Would you like to join us?"

Cragen took in everyone's appearance. He knew they wouldn't get so dressed up for just a case. He also remembered Olivia's engagement ring from earlier. "No, Casey. That's ok. Thanks for the offer though. Olivia I wanted to talk to you, can you guys give us a minute?"

Olivia's heart sped up. She remembered in the office with Dani Beck. _Maybe he rehired her and just wants to tell me privately so I don't make a big scene. _Olivia thought as she shot her friends a panicked look.

They slowly walked away as Cragen opened the side door to his office, gesturing for Olivia to go in. Olivia did so, slowly. She didn't want to listen to what he had to say right now. Things were just getting better with Elliot and she didn't want to ruin that with some little slut who thought she could run the place. Olivia twisted her ring around so that the platinum band was showing. She hoped Cragen would just write it off as just another old ring of hers. One that she only wore on special occasions, or something. Little did Olivia know, Cragen already saw the ring. Cragen quickly glanced down and noticed that she turned it around, he chuckled to himself. "Turn that back, Olivia ."

Olivia's throat felt like it was closing up, she couldn't breathe as she slowly turned it to show off the amazing diamond. Cragen held out his hand and Olivia placed hers in it. Cragen held it up and examined the ring and he could feel the tears filling up in his eyes. Olivia was like a daughter to him and he was so happy that she finally found someone to make her happy. Only, he didn't even know who that someone was. He let her hand fall back to her side and leaned up against his desk. He took a deep breath as he readied himself to ask the question he hoped he wouldn't regret. "Who is he?"

Olivia knew this was coming. She should have prepared herself, but she didn't. She felt the tears welling in her eyes as she tried to blink them back. Part of her wanted to lie and tell him it was some random guy she was dating, but she knew better than that. He would find out somehow and she would be in more trouble for lying to him. "It's ...um... it's Elliot."

Olivia's heart was pounding, it was the only thing she could hear and she was so sure he could hear it too. Her palms got sweaty and she was grateful Cragen had already looked at the ring. Olivia closed her eyes and stood with her legs shaking, she wasn't tough ass-kicking Detective Benson right now, now she was just Olivia, standing in front of her superior, almost like her father, hoping not to be in trouble. The silence was unbearable. Neither of them seemed to know what to do, and if they did, no one did anything. They stood there, looking at each other in the silence. Olivia was trying to get a read on him, trying to see if he was mad or happy, but he was expressionless. There was nothing for her to read, and that scared her.

Without talking, Cragen pushed himself off of the desk and walked around slowly. He was thinking, that much Olivia knew. Without any warning, he walked over and hugged her. Olivia was shocked but thankful of the hug. This meant that he wasn't mad at her, and this meant the world to her. Cragen's hug wasn't professional, but more of a fatherly hug. Olivia loved thinking of Cragen as her father figure, he was always there for her and he always knew just the right thing to say and do to calm her down. True, they had their arguments and their disagreements but they never got out of hand. He was the only one, besides Elliot who knew her inside and out. Olivia relaxed once he hugged her. Right before he pulled out of the hug he whispered, "Finally."

Olivia looked at him, shocked. "What?"

"Finally, you and Elliot should've gotten together such a long time ago. Though I do respect him for not cheating on his wife and sticking by her. He's a good man, Olivia. And that ring is amazing. It makes me think I'm paying you guys too much." Cragen laughed.

Olivia laughed with him, relaxing into a chair. She suddenly remembered Dani Beck. "Don, um ... about earlier when I walked in and — "

"Don't worry about it, Liv. I referred her to computer crimes and told her she couldn't handle it here." Cragen smiled, he knew Dani had a thing for Elliot.

He liked the fact that Olivia was being overly protective of her man. However, it made him wonder if they should be out on the field together. Cragen decided not to worry about it right now, "You know what, if you don't mind I'd like to come with you guys."

Olivia beamed a huge smile at him. "Seriously?"

Cragen laughed at her, he never seen her look so excited about something. "Seriously."

Olivia waited in his office as Cragen talked about Olivia and Elliot. The first day he put them together, the first time he knew they would be a hassle to deal with, the first time he realized they were developing feelings, how it felt to split them up for the first time, and so on. Olivia enjoyed hearing about it. She heard all about how Elliot was complaining for weeks that he was getting a rookie, and how once he found out it was a woman he was even more upset. He thought that a woman cop wouldn't be able to hold her weight. Cragen joked that Olivia carried more weight on the job than he did most of the time. Olivia laughed but she knew it was true. They both knew.

As soon as Cragen was done changing his tie and fixing himself up, he jokingly held out his arm and Olivia linked it with hers. They walked out of the office to find the hallway empty. Olivia said they must be waiting in the car, as she hit the button for the elevator. Cragen and Olivia kept their arms linked. Cragen was deep in thought about her engagement to Elliot and how their work would be affected. He quickly checked himself and told himself not to think about that. That tonight was a night of celebration. He beamed at Olivia who looked radiant in her black, backless dress. "You look beautiful."

Olivia smiled up at him, "Thanks, Don."

Cragen led Olivia through the doors of the elevator. They were the only two in there as they hit the button for the lobby. Their arms were still linked. Olivia loved it. She felt like a little girl with her dad. That was when it hit her, Cragen should walk her down the aisle. She didn't know how she was going to ask him. She wanted to ask him now but the elevator seemed like the wrong place for that kind of thing. She decided to wait until the perfect moment. Once the doors opened, they saw the rest of the gang standing by the door, waiting for her. They didn't notice the two of them walking towards them, arms still linked. Olivia and Cragen stood next to them until Munch felt them watching. He turned and tapped Casey. Casey turned and brought it to everyone's attention. "Finally, I thought I was going to have to send Elliot up there to drag you out. Are you coming with us, Don?"

Don nodded his head, never taking his arm out of the link he had with Olivia. Elliot shot Olivia a worried glance. She just nodded. Cragen noticed this silent conversation and decided to just let everyone know all at once. "Yes, I know that Olivia is engaged to Elliot and I couldn't be happier for them both."

The gang laughed and the air relaxed between them. There were no more secrets so they could all talk at ease. They took two cars. Munch, Casey and Fin in Casey's car and Elliot, Olivia, and Cragen in Elliot's car. The car rides were generally silent. Elliot and Olivia were grateful that Cragen knew so that they could hold hands in the car. Cragen saw this and smiled. He was so happy that they had each other. He just hoped nothing would take one of them away, being a cop was always a risky business. He pushed that thought aside and told himself just to focus on the present because that was all anyone really had.

Elliot gave Olivia's had a squeeze and she turned her head away from the window to look at him. "Yeah?"

Elliot just shook his head. "Nothing, babe."

Elliot brought Olivia's hand up to kiss the back of it. Olivia laughed and scrunched up her nose. It was something she only did when she was with Elliot. He thought it was adorable. Cragen caught it but didn't say anything. He thought it was sweet, how they had their own secret language and secret ways. The turned back to the window, once again getting lost in his thoughts about Elliot and Olivia. This was a lot to take in for one day. No sooner than he looked out the window it seemed, they were at the restaurant. It was extremely fancy, with a doorman and everything. Olivia and Elliot held hands walking in, as did Casey and Munch. Fin and Cragen walked in side by side exchanging glances about the two couples in front of them.

Their table was a big round one where everyone could see each other. The conversation flowed freely from Elliot and Olivia to the game the night before. Even though the place was extremely fancy with dancing and everything, no one felt compelled to act differently than they normally would. Frankly, none of them cared where they were. They weren't going to act differently just because they were in some fancy place with fancy people. Once they had finished their meals, Elliot asked Olivia to dance. She nodded and took his hand. Munch and Casey joined them, leaving Cragen and Fin to sit at the table watching everyone's items.

Olivia melted into Elliot's body, she was exhausted but she didn't want to let anyone know. Elliot knew though. He always knew. He didn't say anything because he knew that everyone would make a fuss about her and keep asking her if she wanted to leave. Olivia didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay wrapped in Elliot's arms the whole night. She enjoyed the gentle swaying that they had going on. After a couple of songs, Olivia decided to dance with Cragen and Casey danced with Fin. They didn't want them being the only two who didn't get to dance the whole night. Cragen protested at first but Olivia just dragged him out. She figured now would be as good a time as any to ask him to walk her down the aisle.

"Don, I want to ask you something. It's something I've been thinking about for a while and it's alright if you say no. I mean don't feel compelled to say yes, ok?"

Don nodded.

"I was wondering if you would walk me down the aisle. I mean you've always been like a father figure to me and it just seems right. Now it's ok if you say no, I mean I can always walk myself down." Olivia was getting nervous, Cragen had that unreadable look of his face again. She was beginning to regret asking him.

Cragen's face lit up, he beamed down at her. "I would love to."

Olivia's face lit up equally as much as Cragen's. She couldn't believe that he said yes. She was ecstatic, all of her fears and worries about the wedding just seemed to go away. Everything that she had been worried about her whole life, about who would walk her down the aisle and if she would ever really be happy just didn't bother her anymore. She was happy, and she did have someone to walk her down the aisle.

"Liv, you're like a daughter to me. I never actually told you since I know how you are with any type of commitment," Cragen laughed. "But it's true. I've never been more proud of anyone in my life."

The tears began to well in Olivia's eyes, she thought that Elliot made her truly happy. While it was true he did, Cragen filled up a void that not even Elliot could fill. It was the void Olivia had been feeling her whole life, the void of not having a parent's love. Not having that kind of stability and that kind of constant love and support. Olivia felt completely loved now. She felt as if she had found her soul mate and her father at the exact same time.

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**A/N: I know I said there would be smut in this chapter but I decided to keep you guys waiting for another chapter :D I know I'm cruel. But at least Cragen is happy about the engagement. I might throw in another plot twist soon ... so be warned :D ... but not before the smut. The smut comes first. LOL. Review please guys :D Reviews make me update faster ... really they do.**


	12. Alex's Homecoming

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews. I'm almost up to 100 on this story :) .. Which will be my first since **_**The Test Message**_** only has 97. So disappointing ... I know. If you want to review and get my up to 100 on both stories I will love you forever :D lol. Sorry this took so long :( So ... enough of me talking ... bring on the smut. :)**

**oh and I just registered as a beta reader! :)**

**Disclaimer: nope ... not mine :(**

Olivia felt as if she was walking on cloud nine. She couldn't believe she had someone to walk her down the aisle. The rest of the evening went smooth, Olivia and Cragen seemed the most happy out of them all. Elliot, Olivia and Cragen took a drive around New York. Olivia loved the city and even though she works and lives in it, she never gets a chance to see it as much as she would like to. Cragen pointed out parts of New York that were special and told them stories about his first year in New York.

"I wasn't even in New York for twenty-four hours before I had a prostitute yelling at me to pull over as I was sitting at a red light. I guess that's just the way New York works." he laughed.

Olivia and Elliot dropped Cragen off at his house at around eleven. They were all tired and Cragen made it clear that he still wanted everyone in work tomorrow morning. Olivia laughed but she knew he was serious. As they pulled up to his house he unbuckled his seatbelt and shifted in his seat as he reached for the door handle. "Thanks, guys. Congratulations. Have fun tonight, but not too much fun."

Elliot and Olivia laughed, knowing that was going to be near impossible. As soon as they pulled away, Olivia leaned back in her seat. She needed to relax as much as possible before she got home. She knew Elliot wasn't about to let her get any sleep tonight. Elliot looked at her, "Tired, babe?"

Olivia just nodded. "Only a little. I'm getting as much rest as I can now, though."

Olivia looked over at Elliot and smiled at him. He knew exactly what she meant. Olivia reached her hand over and placed it on his thigh, mimicking the motion Elliot was doing on her thigh. He was drawing circles on her inner thigh, he knew that was a turn on for her. After several minutes of drawing circles on each other's legs, neither were tired anymore.

The only thing Olivia could think about was getting into her apartment and into her bed with Elliot. Then she realized something, they still both had separate apartments. Olivia began wondering who's apartment was better. Olivia didn't have time to think about it as Elliot pulled into a spot in front of her apartment. Olivia got out and waited for Elliot to come around so they could walk in together. Elliot grabbed her hand and playfully swung it back and forth as they walked into her apartment building. Olivia laughed and went along with it, swinging along with him. They finally got up to her apartment and Olivia was never so happy to see the walls of her apartment before. They were exchanging light touches in the elevator ride and Olivia couldn't take it anymore. Olivia didn't even bother stopping anywhere when she got into the apartment, nor did Elliot.

Immediately after the door was closed, he pinned her against it and kissed her passionately. Olivia slumped against the door and Elliot's strong arms wrapped around her, holding her up. She, involuntarily, moaned and Elliot used this to his advantage. He slid his tongue in her mouth and the fight for control began instantly. Elliot's hands roamed her body and Olivia had a hard time keeping up the fight. She eventually gave in and Elliot noticed this. He smiled slightly, knowing all too well that he was killing her inside. He pulled away and leaned over to scoop her up. Olivia squealed and laughed. Elliot carried her all the way to her bedroom and placed her on the bed.

Olivia smiled up at him as she slid her heels off. Elliot quickly found the zipper on the dress and slid it off. He was happy to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. He slid the dress down and found a black lace thong that made his length grow even more. He loved how sexy she was. He uncomfortable shifted as he took of his belt and his pants. Olivia leaned forward and tugged at his shirt. She slowly unbuttoned all of the buttons and slid it off of his toned muscles. Elliot pushed her back onto the bed and got on top of her.

He began kissing her neck and nibbling at it. He knew they would make a mark but he didn't care, and neither did Olivia. She was his and Olivia knew it, and now with that engagement ring everyone else knew it too. Olivia leaned her head back to give him more room and Elliot took full advantage of it. Elliot then moved downward. He stopped at her breasts and lightly kissed the straining buds. He then took one in his mouth and sucked it softly. He heard Olivia's moans of pleasure and began brushing his tongue over it again and again. Olivia had to bit her lip to keep herself from screaming out.

Elliot then moved downward again. He stopped at her thong, kissing it softly. He could feel the heat radiating through the fabric. He slid the fabric down her legs until it was completely off, kissing his way down as he did. He kissed his way back up and stopped when he came to her wet clit. He looked up at her but her head was still back and she was obviously enjoying herself. Elliot smiled as his tongue penetrated her folds. Olivia almost screamed out at the pleasure but didn't. Instead, she just bucked her hips as a way of release. Elliot stopped soon after and kissed his way back to her. "Scream, Livvie. You know you want to." he whispered in her ear as he nibbled on it.

Olivia smiled slightly. "You're so cocky, Stabler."

Elliot chuckled. "You say that like it's a bad thing, Benson."

Olivia didn't say anything, she just pulled his lips to hers and their fight for control began again. Olivia couldn't take it anymore, the throbbing was becoming more and more intense. She was so close to the edge. "El ..."

She half moaned his name and Elliot loved it. He heard her simple request and granted it. He slid off his boxers and positioned himself over her. He looked into her eyes as he slid deeply into her. He waited a minute for her to get used to him and when she opened her eyes again he began moving. Olivia tried to hold on for as long as she could but that wasn't long at all. She reached her climax almost as soon as he began moving. She screamed out at the pleasure and Elliot smiled. "There you go, Livvie."

Olivia slightly rolled her eyes at his attempt at humor. She smiled slightly and bucked her hips, insisting to him to go deeper. Elliot, once again, granted her request and did as she asked. Olivia moaned loudly with pleasure and wrapped her legs around him. This pulled Elliot impossibly close to her and made him climax almost automatically. He had been waiting so that he could give her as much pleasure as he possibly could. They both laid next to each other shortly after. Their hot, sweaty bodies were tangled together in a mess of limbs on the bed.

Elliot was playing with a piece of Olivia's hair, twirling it around his finger and then dropping it only to repeat the process again. Elliot moved so that his body spooned Olivia's and wrapped his arms around her. Olivia slowly drifted to sleep but Elliot stayed awake. He watched her sleep and watched her little involuntary movements. He chuckled lightly when he saw her nose crinkle up and a small smile creep upon her face. It wasn't long before he too fell asleep and his breathing evened out with hers.

They both woke up to the sound of the alarm clock that neither remembered setting the night before. Olivia groaned as she hit the snooze button. Elliot laughed as he stretched and half sat up in the bed. He leaned over and kissed her neck in an attempt to wake her up. Olivia moaned softly and rolled over. "If you keep doing that we won't get to work tomorrow."

Olivia suddenly remembered that it was Monday, the day Alex would come back to the precinct. Suddenly she shot out of bed and Elliot looked at her confused. "We have to get to work."

Elliot nodded. "Yeah, babe. I'm aware of that. That's why I woke you up."

"No." Olivia shook her head and got out of the bed, thankful that it was still somewhat dark in the bedroom. "I mean there's something special about today."

Elliot got up and looked at her questioningly as he pulled on his clothes from the night before. "What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you. I would if I could but I'm not allowed."

Elliot nodded slowly and decided not to push the subject anymore. Instead, he got dressed as Olivia got in the shower and he made her breakfast. Elliot was a secret cook and Olivia knew it. He normally kept it a secret but Olivia was different. There were times when he cooked her dinner when they were working late. Olivia never pegged him as the cooking type but it was a bonus.

Elliot began cooking whatever seemed eatable in the fridge. He found a newly bought case of eggs and some toast. He made the most out of what he could find and made her a fried egg with toast. He found a carton of orange juice and poured two glasses. Soon after, Olivia came out, fully dressed and ready to go. She walked into the kitchen and smiled when she saw the breakfast on the table. She walked over to where he was standing facing the stove. He didn't notice her and Olivia walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. This made Elliot jump, he then realized who it was and instantly relaxed. Olivia tightened her hold around his waist and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Thanks for breakfast, babe."

Elliot smiled and grabbed her arms and turned around. He repositioned her arms around his waist only this time he was facing her. Olivia leaned up and kissed him. "Only the best for my lady."

Olivia laughed and pulled away from him. She sat down in front of her plate and began eating. She wanted to get to work as soon as she could so she wouldn't miss Alex's big entrance. Then, she remembered they still had to figure out where they would be living. "El ..."

Elliot looked up at her. "Yeah, babe?"

"Well I was wondering, we both still have separate apartments so who's are we going to take?"

Elliot slowly nodded. He hadn't thought about that. "Well, whichever one you want, Liv. Wherever you feel most comfortable is fine with me."

Olivia nodded. "I want to stay here."

True it wasn't the best apartment in the world but it was her home and she didn't want to leave it. She knew her and Elliot would most likely move out of it one day when and if they had kids, but she wasn't ready to let go of the place she called home for so many years. Elliot nodded. "Ok, Liv. When would you like me to move my things in?"

Olivia had finished her breakfast and was putting her plate in the dishwasher. "Whenever you want to. That part is up to you."

Elliot nodded as he followed suit with Olivia and put his plate in the dishwasher. They both agreed to drive to Elliot's apartment so he wouldn't be in the same clothes he was in the night before. Olivia waited in the living room watching the morning news. It was 6:30 in the morning and they only had a half-hour to get to work. Olivia flicked around and got increasingly bored with every channel. She was grateful when Elliot was ready and they were leaving. They walked out of his apartment and Elliot stopped to talk to the landlord. He told him he would be moving out by the end of the month.

The landlord congratulated Elliot and made a note to put an ad in the paper for his apartment. They drove to the precinct and Elliot couldn't stop wondering about what was so important about today. He anxiously pulled into a spot and the second the car came to a stop, Olivia jumped out and swiftly walked up the stairs into the precinct. Elliot watched her confused and quickly took the keys out of the car, locked it, and ran after her. He found her just as she was getting on an elevator. He caught it just in time and looked at her. "What was that all about?"

"Sorry, El. I just wanted to get in here as fast as I could."

With that Elliot said no more. He figured he would find out soon enough. The elevator dinged and he let Olivia get off first. The first person they saw when they walked into the squad room was Casey. She had the biggest grin on her face but everyone around her seemed oblivious as to why. Olivia, however, knew exactly what was going on and rushed over to Casey to talk to her. "So, did you?"

Casey shook her head.

"When are you?"

"Now."

Olivia nodded and a bright smile crept on her face. She walked over to Elliot's desk and sat on the arm of the chair. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and Elliot put his hand on her thigh. Cragen came out of his office to find out what was going on. "Why is everyone standing around?"

Casey calmed him down by telling him that there was a surprise waiting for everyone if he would wait just a minute longer. Casey's cell phone rang immediately after informing Cragen and she rushed out of the room nodding to Olivia. This was her cue. Olivia stood up and squeezed Elliot's arm. "Ok, everyone can I have your attention?"

Olivia waited until everyone turned and waited for her to speak. "Ok, now. I'm sure you've all been wondering what's going on and even if you haven't been you'll find out."

Everyone laughed and Olivia waited to proceed. "Casey and I have someone very special and dear to everyone in here waiting to see you all. She's very excited to see everyone again and I'm sure that you will all be delighted to see her as well. So enough of me talking, Casey bring her in."

Casey walked through the doors pushing Alex in front of her. The whole room stopped and stared. Alex laughed nervously. "Well? Isn't anyone going to say anything?"

The whole room erupted in applause and people swarming to see her. Fin seemed the one who was taken aback the most by her arrival. He had secretly wished this would happen for years but he never believed it actually would. As the crowd began thinning, he walked over to her. Alex's eyes locked with his and without thinking twice, the two locked in a passionate kiss in the middle of the squad room. There was the sound of applause and cheering as the two kissed. Alex laughed and pulled away, only to be hugged tightly by Fin.

Olivia smiled and looked back at Elliot who had been standing directly behind her. He put his arm around her and Olivia leaned into him. She looked around and noticed everything was perfect, or so it seemed.

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, Review please :)**


	13. A Family Dinner

1**A/N: Hey guys ! Hope you are still reading this ... I'm going to bring it to an end soon :(**

**Disclaimer: nope :(**

The entire gang went out for dinner and Alex told them all about where she had been. "I would've came to see you guys sooner but when I heard about the power couple over here I decided to wait." Alex said, pointing to Olivia and Elliot.

"She didn't want to overshadow their engagement." Casey said, rolling her eyes. "Like that's possible. Every person who's ever been in this unit has wanted these two to get together."

"Well," Munch said. "Except Cassidy."

Olivia shot him a death glare and threw a crumpled-up napkin at him. Munch and Fin laughed and high-fived each other. "Anyway ..." Olivia said, waiting for them to stop rejoicing in their attainment. "Continue Alex."

"That's pretty much all there is to it." Alex said, shrugging and taking a sip of her margarita. "That's when I was hiding out in Casey's apartment for the past couple of days waiting for the perfect time."

Olivia smiled at Alex, she couldn't believe she was actually back. She had made peace, years ago, that she would never see that face again but here it was. That face, that person was sitting mere inches from her having a conversation much like in Olivia's dreams. "Olivia ... Liv!"

"What?" Olivia asked, being pulled back into reality.

"What's wrong with you?" Munch asked, chugging the last of his scotch.

"Nothing, I was just thinking." Olivia said, shaking her head in an effort to bring herself entirely back to the future.

The conversation then veered off of Olivia and onto other topics, such as Munch and Fin getting Alex caught up on all of their favorite sports moments of the past years, Casey and Olivia telling her all the style changes and the new trends, and Elliot telling her all the inaccuracies about all of the so-called facts she was being given. "Gladiator sandals are in!" Olivia argued with Elliot.

"They aren't in, Olivia." he said smugly.

"And how would you know, Mr. Fashion Expert?" Olivia said, crossing her legs and her arms. Her signature fighting stance.

"I have three teenage girls, trust me I know."

"Well you're wrong." Olivia said, taking the last sip of her wine and calling the waiter over.

"Would you like another glass, Miss?" the young woman asked.

"Yes," Olivia said. "But first I have a question."

"Ok."

"Do you think gladiator sandals are in?" Olivia asked, shooting a look at Elliot.

"Well, I have seen some celebrities wearing them so, I guess, yeah they're making a comeback." the woman said, much to the dismay of Elliot.

Olivia thanked the woman and turned back to the table. "Told you."

"She's wrong." Elliot shrugged, taking a swig of his beer.

"Oh, don't be a sore loser. Just because I'm right it doesn't make you any less of a man." Olivia joked. "But if you were right, it probably would."

Fin and Munch roared at her loving stab at Elliot. Olivia, who was sitting directly across from Elliot, reached her feet out and intertwined them with Elliot's and rubbed his legs with her feet. Elliot pretended to be mad for a second but as her foot traveled north, he couldn't act angry anymore. His face soften and he cleared his throat in an attempt to get mercy from her. Olivia wasn't about to give it any time soon. "So, are you seeing anyone, Alex?"

"Olivia, seriously? I just got back into town after being gone for so many years." Alex said, a smile creeping on her face. She knew exactly what Olivia was doing.

"Well I was just wondering, you look a little ... tense." Olivia said, trying to find the right word that wasn't too obvious but that would make sense to everyone at the table.

"Well, if we're talking about people being tense I think we should talk to Elliot." Alex said, turning to Elliot hoping he heard her.

And he did. He looked up at Alex and glared at her. Olivia's foot was now dangerously close to his erection and he was trying to keep his composure. "What are you talking about., Alex?"

"Nothing," she said, smiling as she looked at Munch and Fin. "I was just wondering if Olivia was treating you right."

Munch and Fin were dangerously close to busting out laughing but they were holding themselves together to see what Elliot would say. "Well," Elliot said, taking another swig of his beer. "She has been a little off these past couple of days."

Olivia, Alex, and Casey's jaws dropped and Munch and Fin roared with laughter. Olivia shot her foot up and as it hit its destination Elliot yelled out in pain. "I was just kidding." he managed to squeak out.

"Well, let's see who's not just kidding tonight." Olivia said, getting up and going to the bathroom with Casey and Alex trailing behind.

Once they were in the safety of the women's bathroom, they started talking. "Are you really mad at him?" Alex said, wondering if she thought too highly of the power couple.

"Of course not," Olivia said, looking in the mirror. "I just want him to think that."

"You're a cruel person, Olivia." Casey said, shaking her head as she fixed her make up.

"Hey," Olivia said, now on the defense. "Once you've had make up sex with Elliot, then come talk to me about faking fights."

Alex laughed. "That good, huh?"

"Ha and I thought regular sex with Elliot was amazing, this is a whole different level." Olivia said, as she turned to walk out of the bathroom.

"How long are you going to deprive him?" Casey asked quietly as they made their way back to the table.

"As long as I can stand to hold out." Olivia laughed, knowing it wasn't long.

"I give her two hours." Casey said to Alex.

Olivia shook her head. "You two don't give me enough credit."

"Enough credit for what, babe?" Elliot said, overhearing her talk to her friends.

Olivia just looked at him with a cold glare and pretended like he didn't say anything. Munch and Fin looked at each other, trying to keep their laughter under control. Finally, the two had to excuse themselves to go to the bathroom and get all of their suppressed giggles out. Once the men's bathroom door swung shut, they both laughed as hard as they could.

"Elliot thought he was all smug and the top dog with that comment about Liv but then she comes and proves she's the one wearing the pants in the relationship." Fin said, his laughter beginning to die down.

"I know what you mean," Munch said, nodding and wiping the tears away. "He going to have to work extra hard to get off of Olivia's bitch list."

Fin nodded and shook his head. "Looks like he's not getting any tonight."

"Looks like he's not getting any, any night for a while." Munch said as they walked back to the table.

"You ladies ok?" Casey asked as they got back to the table.

"Of course we are, sir." Munch shot back without hesitation. Casey glared at him and he looked at her innocently.

"So, how's that anthrax Munch?" Casey asked, fearlessly mocking his rants.

"Good, good. How's those herpes? I hear they get pretty nasty." Munch said, once again without even a hint of a waver in his voice.

Alex looked at Olivia and silently communicated a 'Is there something I don't know?' look. Olivia shrugged and looked back at the two who were fighting like an old married couple. The whole table seemed immersed in the conversation the two were having. Finally Olivia cut in. "Ok, how about we all come back to my place? I have beer, a couch, and a tv."

Alex, Fin, and Elliot agreed quickly, wanting to get out of the uncomfortable air of the restaurant. "Your place, Liv?" Elliot asked in a joking tone.

Olivia once again pretended like she didn't hear anything and stood up. Alex and Fin joined Elliot and Olivia for the ride back to her place after Munch insisted on being away from Fin, and after Casey insisted on going with him. "For safety reasons." she assured them as she climbed into the car.

"Yeah, for the safety of Munch's sex life." Fin said, shaking his head. "I'm not getting into that car until I get it washed."

"Well," Olivia said, putting her seatbelt on. "If they come late we'll know something's up."

They pulled out of the parking spot, all thinking about Munch and Casey.

**A/N: Review please :)**


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